St. Paul Pioneer Press (04.29.12) - Wednesday, May 02, 2012
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has released HIV/AIDS
data for 2011 showing a decline in new infections overall but
a worrying rise among some groups, including women.
There were 292 new HIV cases last year, a 12 percent drop from
the 331 cases logged in 2010, MDH said. In total, an estimated
7,136 Minnesotans are thought to be living with HIV/AIDS.
According to the report:
*HIV cases among women climbed 9 percent, with increases seen
in African-born, African-American, Latina, and Asian females.
*Ninety-two percent of the male cases involved male-to-male
sex.
*Compared to whites, communities of color experienced the
greatest disparities in terms of HIV infection rates.
"While the overall drop in cases is encouraging, it's
concerning that we continue to see increases and higher rates
among some of our communities," said Peter Carr, STD and HIV
section manager at MDH.