HIV in NYC Spreading at Three Times National Average

According to a new study the H.I.V virus is spreading at three times the national average in New York City. In New York, there is an incidence of 72 new infections for every 100,000 people, compared with 23 per 100,000 nationally.

Some of the daunting findings of the study:

• Men accounted for 76 percent of new H.I.V. infections and women for
  25 percent. (The figures exceed 100 percent because of rounding.)

• Blacks
  made up 46 percent of the newly infected; Hispanics, 32 percent; and
  whites, 21 percent. (Figures for other racial or ethnic groups were not
  provided.)

• Sex between men was the main cause in 50
  percent of new infections; high-risk heterosexual sex in 22 percent;
  intravenous drug use in 8 percent; and unknown or uncertain causes in
  18 percent.

Not good news in the fight against HIV/AIDS…

-Andy

For more on this story and a Depart of Health comment, follow the Jump

The system used in the study is new, and so there is some doubt about the accuracy of the results.

The Depart of Health states, “The analytic technique is new, and the estimates may be imprecise, but
even a rough gauge of H.I.V. incidence is a valuable tool for
understanding — and combating — the spread of H.I.V. The health
department’s new estimate includes 2006 incidence figures for different
age groups, racial groups and both genders. By repeating the exercise
for subsequent years, researchers may be able to discern increases and
decreases over time, and target their prevention efforts accordingly.”