The District of Columbia has become the capital city of AIDS. A new study performed by Washington's HIV/AIDS Administration and George Washington University generated some scary statistics.
- although black residents make up only 57% of the D.C. population, they account for 81% of new HIV cases and 86% of people with AIDS.
- 5% of D.C. residents carry HIV.
- the biggest slice of the new cases reported since 2001 were caused by heterosexual contact: around 37%.
- intravenous drug use remains one source of new infections. The District of Columbia remains the only city in the nation that is barred by federal law from having a needle exchange program. Thanks a bunch, Congress.
The City government continues to work on getting more comprehensive statistics to clearly chart the course of the HIV epidemic there. In the meantime, if you live in Washington D.C., do not become one of the those statistics. Do not have unprotected sex, either hetero or gay. If you have the misfortune of being addicted to intravenous drugs, do not share a needle.
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Comments: 4
I think the bottom line on HIV is that the rates do not go down until people get the message and change behaviors.