Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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United Press International - Monday, November 30, 1998
In a symposium at the United Nations, AmFAR said today of the poll, "most Americans think they are more likely to be shot by a total stranger or go completely deaf rather than be infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS."
"This data is a wake-up call reminding us it is no time to be complacent," said Mathilde Krim, chairman of AmFAR.
"While deaths from AIDS are slowing down in the United States because of more effective drug treatments, the incidence of AIDS and of new cases of HIV infection is rising," Krim said, adding, "Around the world, the HIV-AIDS situation is getting grimmer every day."
An estimated 33 million people are infected with HIV. AmFAR is hosting an international gathering of AIDS experts at the United Nations. Tuesday is AIDS Day.
The poll reveals that most Americans, regardless of sex or race, aren't worried about contracting AIDS. They perceive their risk of contracting AIDS as lowest of a list of 11 different accidents and illnesses.
Respondents 18-24 years old listed HIV-AIDS last.
Said Jerome Radwin, chief executive officer of AmFAR, "Nearly half of all new HIV infections in the U.S. are in young people under the age of 24. On average, at the current rate of infection, two young people in the U.S. become infected every hour of every day."
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