Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1988. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Chicago Tribune (CT) - WEDNESDAY February 3, 1988 Edition: NATIONAL Section: NEWS Page: 7 Word Count: 360
Jon Van, Science writer
The previous high of 70 cases was reported in December. The January cases include 69 men, 3 women and one child under 13. The total number of acquired immune deficiency syndrome cases reported in Chicago since the disease was discovered eight years ago is 1,084, Edwards said. Of that total, 54 percent, or 583 AIDS victims, are dead.
AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and can be spread by sexual intercourse, blood transfusions and sharing of needles for intravenous drug use. It can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby at birth. Homosexual men have been at highest risk for AIDS infection in Chicago.
All three women in the latest totals were described by health officials as drug users and heterosexuals. One of the women is white, one is Hispanic and one is a native American.
The child in January's total is an infant born to a mother who is the sexual partner of a drug user, and that is the apparent source of the infection, health officials said.
Among the 69 men in the latest tally, 58 are described by health officials as homosexuals. They include 35 whites, 14 blacks and 9 Hispanics. Also included in the male total are seven heterosexual drug users, of whom two are white, two are black and three are Hispanic.
Two white men in the total are described as being drug users and either homosexual or bisexual, and two black hemophiliacs are also included.
Confidential anonymous testing for antibodies to HIV is available weekdays at the Lakeview Clinic at 2847 N. Clark St. and at the clinic at 1306 S. Michigan Ave. For appointments, call (312) 744-7353.
This testing program is not available for couples seeking to fulfill marriage license application requirements mandated by state law, health officials said, because it doesn't provide written documentation of the test and identification of the person tested required by the state law that took effect Jan. 1.
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