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HIV incidence among heterosexuals
and injection drug users declined by 60 percent from 2003 to 2012 in Wisconsin,
but the rate of new infections among gay and bisexual men stayed approximately
the same. Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported that 70 percent of
Wisconsin’s 241 new cases in 2012 occurred among gay and bisexual men, and
close to half of all new HIV diagnoses (48 percent) were in Milwaukee, home to
25 percent of the state’s population. Blacks comprised the highest number of
new cases (42 percent), followed by whites (40 percent), Hispanics (14
percent), and Asian and multiracial individuals (2 percent each).
Approximately 25 percent of gay and
bisexual African-American men in Wisconsin were HIV-infected, compared to 3
percent of white and 7 percent of Hispanic gay and bisexual men. HIV cases were
concentrated among men under 29, especially among African-American men, where
the median age of diagnosis was 26. Among white and Hispanic gay and bisexual
men, the median age at diagnosis was 32. African-American women diagnosed with
HIV had a median age of 38, compared to a median age of 42 for white women.
Mike Gifford, president and chief
executive officer of AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (ARCW), stated that
people under 25 account for 24 percent of new cases. Current efforts aim to
expand HIV testing and link people diagnosed with HIV with treatment as soon as
possible. According to CDC, close to 20 percent of people with HIV are unaware
of their status, and they are responsible for most of the new infections. ARCW
provides primary medical care and support services to many of the state’s 6,549
HIV-infected residents. The high incidence of STDs in Milwaukee makes fighting
HIV more difficult, since CDC has identified a “strong link” between occurrence
of STDs and HIV.
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.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
