H.I.V. rates persist in U.S.

by Terri Potratz | September 12, 2008 at 08:51 am

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An in-depth study recently revealed that the HIV virus is spreading faster within the US than was previously thought. New infections for 2006 totaled 56,300, a rate which was considerably higher than the CDC's (Centres for Disease Control) projected number of 40,000.

An unusually detailed study of people newly infected with H.I.V. in the United States has confirmed that the majority of new cases occur among gay and bisexual men and that blacks are most at risk. But the data show that whites and blacks tend to be infected at different times in their lives with the virus that causes AIDS.
Most new infections of white gay and bisexual men occur when the men are in their 30s and 40s, the study found, while black gay and bisexual men are more likely to be infected in their teens and 20s. The results were reported on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report also confirmed that rates of new infection are highest among black people and gay or bisexual men.

Black people, who make up about 12 percent of the population, accounted for more than 45 percent of the new infections, the study found, and the disparity was particularly acute among women.

Black women are nearly 15 times as likely to be infected with H.I.V. as white women. Hispanic women are four times as likely to be infected as white women. Black men have six times the H.I.V. incidence rate of white men and nearly three times that of Hispanic men

Hopefully this study will reinvigorate the fight against HIV/AIDS and serve as a reminder that this epidemic remains a stark issue, both within North America and worldwide. Preventative efforts and continued education should be a top priority.