Map shows toll in America of HIV 30 years later
It’s just about 30 years since the first case of AIDS was diagnosed, unleashing an epidemic. And while those with HIV can now have a relatively normal life span, thanks to effective medications, new cases are still cropping up at rates that frustrate public health officials.
To give the public an idea of the prevalence rates (the percentage of people with HIV at this time), the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University have created an interactive map. It can be found at www.AIDSVu.org and can break down the rates by state and county – and can show where the need for testing and treatment are most urgent.
Those who put up the map plan to update it regularly.
“AIDSVu is an important new public health tool that makes data on the geography of HIV in the United States available to anyone with an Internet connection,” said Dr. James Curran, dean of the Rollins School, in a statement. “AIDSVu shows us that every area of the country is affected by HIV, and we hope that AIDSVu helps individuals better understand HIV in their communities and take charge of their health.”
The data come from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and were compiled by Rollins School researchers with help from a host of others.
Take a look at the map. The researchers note that the Northeast and South are most heavily impacted (and Maryland is right up there), as are black and Hispanic populations in the cities and rural areas. In total, more than a million Americans have HIV, and one in five doesn’t know it.
