During the early years of the HIV epidemic, incidence of HIV increased at an alarming rate to an estimated 160,000 cases. It wasn’t until June 1981 that the first cases of AIDS were reported in the United States. [1] In the early 1980s, the number of new HIV infections peaked at around 160,000 cases but decreased and remained steady at 40,000 cases during the 1990s and through today.
In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that there were between 1,039,000 – 1,185,000 individuals living with HIV or AIDS in the United States. [2] HIV screening is an integral component in our country’s efforts to prevent the epidemic and treat individuals already diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Disease management of HIV/AIDS has been made possible through improvements in therapy and treatment.
Despite the therapeutic advances, HIV/AIDS still has a disproportionate effect on racial and ethnic minorities. Recent studies have demonstrated that women represent a significant percentage of the growing proportion of new AIDS diagnoses (27 percent in 2004), especially minority women. [3] With more than one million people estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in the United States, reducing barriers to early screening and diagnosis and ensuring access to prevention and treatment services are critical measures in tackling the health burden of HIV/AIDS in our country.
Sources:
[1] CDC. MMWR. Vol. 30, 1981.
[2] Glynn K. Rhodes P. Estimated HIV Prevalence in the United States at the End of 2003. 2005 National HIV Prevention Conference, June 2005.
[3] CDC, Presentation by Dr. Harold Jaffe. HIV/AIDS in America Today. 2003 National HIV Prevention Conference, June 2003.
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Healthcare (General)
Health Disparities
