Women's HIV Rate Rises as 2011's Total Declines

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.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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