Accurate and timely data on the number of persons in the United States living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (HIV prevalence) are needed to guide planning for disease prevention, program evaluation, and resource allocation. However, overall HIV prevalence cannot be measured directly because a proportion of persons infected with HIV have neither been diagnosed nor reported to local surveillance programs. In addition, national HIV prevalence data are incomplete because local reporting systems for confidential, name-based HIV reporting have been fully implemented only since April 2008.
March 10 is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. In 2005, women accounted for 26% of newly diagnosed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases, compared with 11% in 1990. Of an estimated 9,708 women and adolescent girls who had human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS diagnosed during 2005, the majority (80%) had become infected through high-risk heterosexual contact, and 19% had become infected through injection-drug use.
Download PDF document of this issue.
This information is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.