Every New Jerseyan should be tested for HIV to know their status to help the fight to End the HIV Epidemic

TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) joins the worldwide observance of World AIDS Day this December 1 in remembrance of those lost to HIV. The Department also applauds the numerous organizations tirelessly working with New Jersey communities living with, at risk of, or affected by HIV each day to advance the end of the HIV epidemic. This year’s theme is Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response.

“World AIDS Day is more than a date on the calendar. It represents our unwavering support for New Jerseyans living with HIV and the communities impacted by this epidemic,” said Acting Health Commissioner Jeff Brown. “New Jersey remains steadfast in our commitment to end the HIV epidemic. While we’ve made important progress, now is not the time to pull back on our efforts or accept the status quo.”

Ahead of World AIDS Day this year, NJDOH released new data dashboards to show the progress made toward ending the HIV epidemic. These data tell the story of where people are living with HIV in New Jersey to help ensure resources are available in those communities and where new infections are being diagnosed to help direct prevention services to those communities. The dashboards are accessible at: nj.gov/health/hiv/hiv-data.

The State continues to make progress toward the goal of ending the HIV epidemic, following the 2021 strategic plan developed by the New Jersey Taskforce to End the HIV Epidemic to:

• Reduce the number of new HIV infections by 75%,
• Promote access to testing so that 100% of persons living with HIV/AIDS know their status, and
• Promote access and linkage to care so that 90% of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS are virally suppressed.

Reducing infections

More than 36,901 New Jersey residents are currently living with HIV. While 2024 data are still being prepared, in 2023, there were 1,017 new adult/adolescent HIV diagnoses reported, compared to 1,078 in 2022 and 1,106 in 2017. This represents an 8% decrease between 2017 and 2023 in new diagnoses of HIV among New Jerseyans.

The State’s strategy to end the HIV epidemic focuses on addressing disproportionate rates of new infections by raising awareness among disproportionately affected populations and connecting individuals to the testing and care that they need. 

So far in 2025, over 5,600 patients received HIV-related medications and health insurance coverage through the New Jersey AIDS Drug Distribution Program. The Department is addressing critical gaps in health coverage for lower-income people with HIV through GetCoveredNJ insurance plans and is improving data systems and piloting new efforts to reconnect people to appropriate HIV services.

Individuals who need help with HIV medications can call (877) 613-4533 or talk to their case manager. 

Through the 32 pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) funded agencies across the State, PrEP counselors provided medication—a pill a day or an injection once every other month—to those at significant risk of contracting HIV. To date in 2025, 1,766 people were counseled about PrEP, out of which 639 people were linked to medications for HIV prevention through the New Jersey PrEP Counselor Program.

Increasing testing access 

It is estimated that, nationally, 13% of people infected do not know their HIV status, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. NJDOH’s HIV testing program helps address this challenge, testing nearly 50,000 people each year.

This fall, NJDOH launched an awareness campaign promoting STI testing for sexually active adults in New Jersey. Through social media, billboards, streaming audio and television, the No Fear, Just Results campaign especially aimed to reach those who may face sexual stigmas, with information in both English and Spanish.

The Department is also working with partners to implement routine testing in various clinical settings, with emergency rooms being a key focus. This includes a public health detailing project working with private practices and residency clinics. These partnerships are also working to provide training and technical assistance to help approximately 29 sites move closer to providing routinized testing.

The Department is partnering with the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center at the Rutgers School of Nursing to run an awareness campaign focusing on Black and Latina heterosexual cisgender women ages 18 years and older. The Take PrEP & Take Charge campaign’s goal is to increase awareness about PrEP among women and to direct individuals to the endHIVnj.org website to learn more. This campaign is currently running in Atlantic, Camden and Mercer counties.  Since it launched, the campaign has generated over 130 million views.

Increasing linkages to care

The NJ AIDS/HIV/STD Hotline at 1-800-624-2377 is free, confidential, and available 24/7 to connect individuals to prevention, testing, and treatment services. New Jersey’s HIV testing sites are available across the state. 

NJDOH data show significant progress in ensuring individuals are linked to care within 30 days of being diagnosed with HIV. Nearly 80% of individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in New Jersey were linked to care within 30 days in 2024, up from 69% in 2017.

Timely linkage to care is crucial to allow people to immediately start taking medications and suppress the virus in their body to a level that they can no longer spread HIV. Viral suppression is important because having an undetectable level of HIV means an individual cannot transmit the virus.

In addition, NJDOH has also seen a steady increase in the number of individuals taking medication and achieving viral suppression. Viral suppression rates for those who had at least one care visit increased to nearly 90% in 2024 compared to 81% in 2017.

Further efforts to end the HIV epidemic include expanding harm reduction services throughout the State. Since July 2023, New Jersey has authorized more than 50 harm reduction centers, which provide counseling and supplies to prevent and reduce the transmission of HIV and other blood-borne diseases, as well as prevent overdoses. So far in 2025, harm reduction centers have served more than 11,800 people – representing a 104% increase compared to the number of clients served in 2024 (5,808). And they have distributed more than 2.7 million new syringes, a 36% increase compared to 2024.

While these results are encouraging, there is still a great deal of work to do to eliminate HIV in New Jersey and the United States. NJDOH continues to partner with exceptional community-based organizations and hospital networks to expand access to HIV prevention measures, which are critical in our efforts to reduce transmission of HIV.

For more information on NJDOH’s HIV Services, visit nj.gov/health/hiv.

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