World AIDS Day
The following information may be attributed to the Ohio Department of Health.
"Ohio men can make a difference" is the theme of this year's World AIDS Day Friday, Dec. 1. Why focus on men? "The statistics show that reported cases of men infected with HIV/AIDS outnumber women, 82 to 18 percent," said J. Nick Baird, M.D., state health director. "Most women are exposed to HIV after having sexual contact with an infected male. "
Men's behavior often puts their sexual partners at risk for HIV. On average, men have more sex partners than women, and a man with HIV is more likely than a woman to infect more people over a lifetime.
According to Dr. Baird, men having sex with men continues to be the leading risk factor for HIV/AIDS. "Seventy percent of all Ohio men living with HIV/AIDS were exposed after male to male sex."
Dr. Baird shares the following HIV/AIDS statistics from the Ohio Department of Health:
- There are an estimated 10,000 to 18,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Ohio. The estimate includes people living with HIV infection, even though they are unaware of their status.
- There are 10,361 people living with HIV/AIDS that have been reported in Ohio, and another 7,190 reported cases who have died from AIDS.
- People 30-39 years of age account for 41 percent of reported persons living with HIV/AIDS in Ohio.
- The rate of reported persons living with HIV/AIDS in Ohio is 92.4 per 100,000 population.
- Minorities in Ohio have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. The rate of African Americans reported living with HIV/AIDS is 337 per 100,000. The rate of Hispanics living with AIDS is 267 per 100,000.
- with HIV/AIDS live in the state's eight largest urban counties: Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Lucas, Mahoning, Montgomery, Stark and Summit.
Dr. Baird and the Health Department HIV/STD Prevention Program will host more than 250 health professionals for the Fifth Annual World AIDS Day Conference, Dec. 4th and 5th at Ohio State. Dr. Baird says that the conference is aimed at the critical need to respond as a united community to HIV/AIDS.
Last Updated: 11/29/2000 |
