Although research shows that gay and bisexual men are disproportionately infected with HIV in the United States, a new study revealed that nearly half of those men living with the deadly virus are not receiving ongoing care or the drugs they need to live healthy lives.

According to a survey from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released on Thursday, those with the highest risk of HIV infection are not receiving proper treatment despite advances in medicine that have produced powerful anti-HIV drugs.

After being diagnosis with HIV, it is imperative for positive people to begin using anti-HIV drugs as soon as possible in order to increase their chances of reducing the virus in their blood to undetectable levels and drastically lower their risks of spreading it.

However, only 49.5 percent of gay and bisexual men diagnosed with HIV receive treatment, while only 42 percent of those on medication have managed to suppress the virus to undetectable levels.

The study also shows that many men diagnosed with HIV will seek medical attention about treatments and then fail to follow through by taking the treatment and getting check-ups. This is especially true among young and African-American gay and bisexual men, says David Purcell, the deputy director of behavioral and social science in the division of HIV-AIDS at the CDC.

There are many reasons why men either don't get or continue with their treatment, notes the study.

"Lack of health insurance, stigma and discrimination might influence whether [gay and bisexual men] access medical care," wrote CDC officials.

However, to help stop the disease from spreading, health officials plan to launch a new campaign.

"We've gone full bore on this, and shifted our HIV prevention strategies to reflect the increasing evidence of the dramatic impact that treatment can have on prevention," said Purcell. "It's very high on our radar."

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