Rates of HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the U.S. stayed steady for the years 2000-2003, but there are still sharp racial disparities, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) . The information was compiled from data released by 32 states.
Rates of HIV/AIDS diagnosis—defined in this case as the number of new diagnoses of HIV per 100,000 population regardless of whether infection has progressed to AIDS—among non-Hispanic Blacks were much higher than among other racial and ethnic groups. The rate of HIV/AIDS among African-American females in 2003 ( 53 cases per 100,000 population ) was more than 18 times higher than among white women and almost five times higher than among Hispanic women. In addition, African-American women accounted for 69 percent of female HIV diagnoses during 2000-2003.
Overall, 125,800 people were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the 32 states that conducted confidential, name-based reporting from 2000 through 2003. More than half of diagnoses ( 51 percent ) were among Black individuals, although they account for only 13 percent of the population of the 32 states. Thirty-two percent of diagnoses were among whites and 15 percent were among Latinos. Asians/Pacific Islanders and American Indians each accounted for 1 percent of diagnoses during the 4-year period.
Men of color were also disproportionately represented among rates of new HIV diagnoses. In 2003, the highest rate of HIV/AIDS diagnosis was among African-American males ( 103.4 per 100,000 population ) , which was almost seven times that of white men and nearly three times the rate among Latino men. Men who have sex with men ( MSM ) continued to account for the largest proportion of diagnoses—44 percent of all HIV diagnoses during the four-year period, and 61 percent of diagnoses among men.
In a telebriefing held on World AIDS Day, Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, the deputy director of the National Center for HIV, STD and TB prevention, stated that racial disparities were even greater among females. The rate of HIV/AIDS diagnoses among African-American females in 2003 was 53 cases per 100,000 population. Incredibly, this rate was 18 times higher than the rate among white females, which was 2.9 per 100,000, and almost five times higher than the rate among Latinas, which was 10.9 per 100,000.
The CDC also issued new data on HIV testing trends in the U.S. from two national surveys conducted in 2002 with more than 100,000 people. The National Health Interview Survey showed that 10 percent of adults reported HIV testing in the previous year. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System reported that about 12 percent of adults were tested in the previous 12 months. The overall proportion of Americans who report being tested during the prior year has remained roughly stable since 1992. The data also showed that testing rates were higher among groups for whom HIV testing is recommended by CDC than among the general population.
During his briefing, Valdiserri stressed that a combination of prevention strategies is needed to 'address the unique challenges in each population at risk for HIV. It is also critical to ensure that high-risk populations have access to HIV counseling and testing services, because testing services provide an important gateway to … prevention, services, and ongoing treatment and care.'
Trends in STDs Released by CDC
Recently, the CDC published its data on the latest trends involving sexually transmitted diseases ( STDs ) —and the information shows just how much of a threat those diseases continue to be. The report shows information regarding only chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis; many STDs, such as human papillomavirus ( HPV ) are not reportable, and others are not diagnosed.
Overall, chlamydia remains the most commonly reported infectious disease in the country—although it is still underdiagnosed. In 2003, 877,478 chlamydial infections were reported to the CDC, up from over 830,000 cases in 2002. However, because many cases are not reported or even diagnosed, it is estimated that there are actually close to 3 million new cases each year. Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that antibiotics can easily cure. If left untreated, however, the disease can cause serious health consequences for women, including infertility.
The data regarding gonorrhea contain better news than the chlamydia-related information. Between 2002 and 2003, the national gonorrhea rate decreased by 4.8 percent, from 122.0 to 116.2 per 100,000 population—the lowest rate ever reported for the disease. The gonorrhea rate among Blacks declined 8.1 percent from 2002 to 2003; however, African Americans remained the group most affected by the disease. For men who have sex with men ( MSM ) , drug resistance is an increasingly important concern; in April, the CDC recommended that drugs called fluoroquinolones ( to which the disease has become increasingly resistant ) not be used on MSM. Untreated cases of gonorrhea can lead to infertility in men as well as chronic pelvic pain and infertility in women. Gonorrhea also increases the risk of HIV infection.
After an all-time low in 2000, the syphilis rate has steadily risen over the past three years. Although the rate has decreased in most populations, more MSM than ever have suffered outbreaks—making this group largely responsible for the increasing national rate, experts say. Recent CDC research indicates that more than 60 percent of all primary and secondary syphilis cases ( the early stages ) reported in 2003 happened among MSM. Although syphilis is easily curable in its early stages, untreated cases can lead to severe long-term consequences and even death. Syphilis, like gonorrhea and some other STDs, facilitates HIV transmission.