|
ap
/ associalisticpress.com�
Vs.
Reuters...
HIV, AIDS Cases
Rise Among U.S. Gay, Bisexual Men
Dec 1, 1:47 PM (ET) By Paul Simao
ATLANTA (Reuters) - A rise in new cases of AIDS and HIV infection among gay and
bisexual men in many U.S. states, reported in a federal study on Wednesday, has
given support for concerns the disease is resurgent in the country.
(ap) - Notice
how Blacks are separated into a monolith, as opposed to Black Homosexual and
Bisexual men being exclusive from Heterosexual Blacks. Either way,
Homosexual/Bisexual Men are increasing in new Infections, and at about 2 to 5%
of the population, currently account for 44% of new HIV infections. Also,
this does not break down Homosexual/IV drug users, which are a category of their
own. I would like to see the study on this. Also, if you go back and
read the story from Westword about Latino AIDS, you learn that many in the
Ethnic Minority groups deny Homosexuality and Bisexuality, so the statistics are
skewed to present a less Homosexual/Bisexual AIDS rate. If this story
angers you, don't Attack the Observer. For the record, I could not find an
AP story on this. - tha malcontent)
The report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released in
connection with World AIDS Day, said new HIV and AIDS diagnoses in 32 U.S.
states rose 11 percent among gay and bisexual men between 2000 and 2003.
Rates were stable among most other population sectors, and the overall infection
rate rose to 19.7 cases per 100,000 people in 2003 from 19.5 per 100,000 people
in 2000.
AIDS, which destroys the immune system and leaves victims vulnerable to an array
of opportunistic infections and cancers, has killed about half a million
Americans and 22 million people worldwide since 1981.
Gay and bisexual men are believed to account for a majority of the estimated
850,000 to 950,000 Americans living with HIV, the virus that causes the disease.
In the United States public health experts have been warning of a possible
resurgence of the epidemic, which eased in the early 1990s following the
development of antiretroviral drugs targeting the disease.
Since the late 1990s, when U.S. deaths from AIDS stabilized at 16,000 per year
and new HIV infections stabilized at 40,000 per year, the disease has shown
signs of a comeback, particularly among gay and bisexual men.
Between 2000 and 2003, a total of 125,800 people were diagnosed with HIV or AIDS
in the 32 states, according to the new report.
Forty-four percent of these cases occurred among gay and bisexual men. "Men who
have sex with men continue to constitute a substantial proportion of HIV/AIDS
cases," said the CDC.
It said blacks, who represent about 13 percent of the U.S. population, made up
51.3 percent of all HIV and AIDS cases diagnosed in the same period.
New York, California and other states that had not used confidential, name-based
reporting of HIV and AIDS cases for at least four years were excluded from the
study.
A number of health departments across the nation also have reported a worrying
surge in syphilis and some other sexually transmitted diseases among gay and
bisexual men. Sexually transmitted diseases are known to increase the likelihood
of contracting HIV.
To combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in America, the U.S. government decided last
year to emphasize programs that focus on testing and counseling people who are
already infected.
Some AIDS activists, however, fear the new approach will lead to reduced funding
for many programs that emphasize condom use and other safe-sex practices for
uninfected people.
The CDC, which hopes to cut the number of new annual HIV infections in half
within five years, also has recommended routine HIV testing be expanded to
include pregnant women, intravenous-drug users and anyone who engages in unsafe
sex.
� Copyright 2004 Reuters. All
rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
(That depends on what the meaning of "may" is...
All commentary included on this website is the opinion of tha malcontent and is
based in the Truth. No Liberals, Marxists, Stalinists, Socialists,
Communists or DemocRATS were harmed in the making of this website, I promise!
- tha malcontent)
|