About HIV/AIDS

United States HIV/AIDS Statistics

According to the Centers for Disease Control: 886,575 cases and 501,669 deaths, reported through 12/2003.

Approximately 900,000 Americans are living with HIV today [1], and 40,000 new infections occur each year [2], half of them in people younger than 25 years of age [3]. ( [1] UNAIDS 2004 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, [2] Centers for Disease Control MMWR 2001;50:430-434, [3] CDC HIV Strategic Prevention Plan Through 2005, January 2001)

An estimated 40,000 Americans contract HIV every year. (Centers for Disease Control MMWR 2001;50:430-434)

As many as 25% of the 40,000 new HIV infections in the U.S. each year occur in 13- to 21-year-olds. (BETA, 1999)

An average of at least one American under the age of 22 becomes infected with HIV every hour of every day. (US Department of Health and Human Services, 10/98)

It is estimated that at least half of all new HIV infections in the US are among people under 25, and the majority of young people are infected sexually. (CDC HIV Strategic Plan, 01/2001)

AIDS is the leading killer of African American men between the ages of 25-44, and the third leading killer of African American women of the same age group. (National Center For Health Statistics, 2001)

HIV remains a disproportionate threat to minorities. African Americans are 10 times as likely to have HIV and AIDS than whites; Latinos, more than 4 times as likely. (National Public Radio, 11/31/99)

In data collected between 1/94-6/97, African Americans account for over 63% of all infected individuals between the ages of 13-24, while making up 13% of the US population. (New York Times, 7/1/98)

African American and Latina women together represent less than one fourth of the US population, but account for more than four/fifths (over 82%) of all AIDS cases among women, and now account for 43% of all HIV-infected people above the age of 15. (CDC HIV Strategic Plan 01/01 & New York Times, 11/24/98)

According to a study, over half of those infected with HIV are not in care and one third of those are unaware they are infected. Furthermore, estimates put the cost of AIDS combination therapy treatment as high as $20,000 a year and rising. (CDC MMWR 1999;48 & HCSUS, 5/98)