Last night, I attended an HIV/AIDS symposium hosted by a local sorority. A woman representing the Women Accepting Responsibility organization spoke about her life today as a woman living with the AIDS virus. She also spoke on the myths about the cause of HIV/AIDS and how people still refuse to get tested or even want to know when they do get tested. The numbers are ASTOUNDING!!!
HIV/AIDS Cases in Maryland since 2010
- More than one million people are living with HIV in the U.S.
- One in five living with HIV is unaware of their infection.
- MSM, particularly young, black MSM, are the most severely affected by HIV.
- By race, African Americans face the most severe HIV burden.
Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM):
By risk group, gay, bisexual, and other MSM of all races remain the population most severely affected by HIV.
- MSM accounted for 61% of all new HIV infections in the U.S. in 2009, as well as nearly half (49%) of people living with HIV in 2008 (the most recent year national prevalence data is available).
- CDC estimates that MSM account for just 2% of the U.S. male population aged 13 and older, but accounted for more than 50% of all new HIV infections annually from 2006 to 2009. In 2010, MSM accounted for 61% of HIV diagnoses.
- In 2009, white MSM accounted for the largest number of annual new HIV infections of any group in the U.S. (11,400), followed closely by black MSM (10,800).
- Young, black MSM were the only risk group in the U.S. to experience statistically significant increases in new HIV infections from 2006–2009—from 4,400 new HIV infections in 2006 to 6,500 infections in 2009.
Heterosexuals and Injection Drug Users:
Heterosexuals and injection drug users also continue to be affected by HIV.
- Individuals infected through heterosexual contact accounted for 27% of estimated new HIV infections in 2009 and 28% of people living with HIV in 2008.
- As a group, women accounted for 23% of estimated new HIV infections in 2009 and 25% of those living with HIV in 2008.
- Injection drug users represented 9% of annual new HIV infections in 2009 and 17% of those living with HIV in 2008.
Estimates of New HIV Infections in the U.S., 2009, by Transmission Category
Prejean J, Song R, Hernandez A, Ziebell R, Green T, et al. (2011) Estimated HIV Incidence in the United States, 2006-2009. PLoS ONE 6(8): e17502. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017502.
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GET TESTED!!! KNOW YOUR STATUS!!! LIVE A POSITIVE LIFE!!!
