The numbers are pretty accurate for Chicago – where it is estimated that about 1 in 3 gay black men have HIV, 1 in 4 Latino, and 1 in 5 white.

But there are some important things to keep in mind—important context that seems to go missing in much of the rather sensationalized coverage I have read.

In Chicago, 88 percent of the gay/bi men and other men who have sex with men who were unaware of their HIV infection had been tested for HIV in their lifetime, and 61 percent of the men who were unaware of their HIV infection had reported taking at least two HIV tests in the past two years. This means that the majority of Chicago men who tested positive are NOT unaware of the need to test — as they have exhibited testing behavior that matches national guidelines.

The headlines would give the impression that gay men are clueless about HIV and just not paying attention – when in fact, many have tested positive since their last test.

I didn’t know I was HIV+ when I was tested 6 months after my previous negative test – duh.

What this says to me is that annual testing is not sufficient. I would recommend that sexually active gay men get tested for HIV two to three times a year, and should get tested for syphilis that frequently as well.

Per the president’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy, the resources deployed to combat HIV in this country must match the epidemic. Since the burden of HIV/AIDS falls on gay men and other men who have sex with men, priority must be given to these men. While the dollars need to follow the epidemic, we also need to improve our prevention efforts and broaden our strategy beyond a focus on individual level change.

In the fight against HIV in Chicago and across the country, we need to focus on on things like fighting homophobia, ensure access to appropriate care and treatment, and other systemic challenges that contribute to the disparities we are seeing.

It is vitally important that these errors be exposed because our enemies will not differentiate between the truth and what they want people to think is the truth.

This is tragically bad.