AEGiS-WSJ: New AIDS Cases in U.S. Fall in Number For First Time in History of Epidemic

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

New AIDS Cases in U.S. Fall in Number For First Time in History of Epidemic

Wall Street Journal - September 19, 1997
Eleena de Lisser

ATLANTA -- For the first time in the history of the AIDS epidemic, the number of new cases in the U.S. has dropped, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Between 1995 and 1996, the number of AIDS cases fell 6% to 56,730 from 60,620. The CDC attributed the decline to new advances in treatment of HIV infection. Combination drug therapies, including the use of protease inhibitors, are helping to delay the progression of HIV infection to full-blown AIDS. Also, the CDC says it believes HIV prevention and educational efforts are having an impact.

"We are seeing for the first time in this epidemic a substantial decline in AIDS incidence," said Dr. Patricia Fleming, the CDC's chief of HIV/AIDS reporting and analysis.

Every region of the country showed a decline in new cases, according to the CDC. New AIDS cases fell 12% in the West, 10% in the Midwest, 8% in the Northeast and 1% in the South.

New reported cases among gay men and gay men who inject drugs, fell 11% and 15%, respectively. There were also fewer new cases among heterosexual men and women who inject drugs.

Meanwhile deaths from the disease fell 23%, from an estimated 50,140 in 1995 to 38,780 in 1996. The CDC estimates that 235,470 people with AIDS were still living in 1996. Gay men accounted for about 48% of that figure.

But not all of the news is positive. The incidence of AIDS among all heterosexuals continued to rise, particularly in the minority community. Among black and Hispanic men, AIDS cases rose 19% and 13%, respectively. Among black and Hispanic women, the increases were 12% and 5%. The rate of incidence among all heterosexuals rose 11% for men and 7% for women.

"Where we are continuing to see increases reflects people who were not tested and didn't have access to care so their first entry into the health-care systems is when they are sick with AIDS," Dr. Fleming said.

The CDC doesn't track the rate of HIV infection. But the most current figures available, from 1987 to 1992, showed there were about 40,000 to 80,000 new HIV infections a year, according to Dr. Fleming. She added that it is difficult to know how many people have HIV infections because many people aren't tested.

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