CDC National AIDS Hotline Training Bulletin #122 - February 7, 1995
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

In 1994, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received 80,691 new reports of Americans with severe HIV disease, or AIDS. The 1994 reported cases equal about one fifth of all U.S. AIDS cases reported since 1981 and are the clearest depiction to date of the magnitude and nature of the epidemic.

In 1993, CDC expanded the AIDS case definition, or criteria used to report AIDS, to more accurately identify everyone living with severe HIV disease. Immediately following the change, there was a dramatic increase in 1993 case reports, as the backlog of people with AIDS who had not previously been reported were added to the total. In 1994, the reporting stabilized, and the continuing personal and public toll AIDS is taking on America has become more clear.

In addition to the number of AIDS cases, the new statistics confirm several recent trends in the epidemic s evolution. The proportion of AIDS cases among women, racial/ethnic minorities, and children continues to increase, while the rate of AIDS among homosexual/bisexual men has leveled--perhaps reflecting the impact of sustained, targeted prevention programs.

The Magnitude

The changes in case reporting limit the usefulness of comparisons between pre and post 1993 data, but the magnitude of the epidemic is clearly greater than earlier statistics indicated.

Of 441,528 cumulative AIDS cases reported to CDC since 1981, about one-fifth were reported in 1994.

In 1992, there were 47,572 cases reported. Following the case definition expansion, reported cases jumped to 106,618 in 1993. Even as reporting has stabilized, over 80,000 Americans were reported with AIDS in 1994.

HIV infection is now the leading cause of death among people 25 to 44 years old.1

The Changing Face of the Epidemic

Comparing the state of the epidemic in 1993 to 1994 shows that:

* Women account for more and more Americans with AIDS, increasing from 16.2% to 18.1% of all reports.

* AIDS is a major public health problem among our nation's people of color. African Americans with AIDS increased from 36.1% to 39.0% of the total; Hispanics increased from 17.7% to 18.7%.

* The proportion of cases reported among homosexual/bisexual men decreased from 47.3% to 43.3%.

* The proportion of cases attributed to heterosexual contact increased from 9.2% to 10.3%.

HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report

These statistics, published in the February 3, 1995, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, are a preliminary report of national AIDS case reporting for 1994. The next edition of the quarterly HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report will provide a more detailed analysis, including state-by-state reporting. CDC anticipates publishing that report by March 1995.

Reference

1. CDC. Annual summary of births, marriages, divorces, and deaths: United States, 1993. Monthly Vital Statistics Report 1994;42(13):1820.

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