AIDS AND HIV FACT SHEET

International: (as of October, 1995)

The number of AIDS cases in the world will increase five-fold, from an estimated four million in 1994 to 20 million by the year 2000. (4) More than 22 million people are already infected and by the year 2000, between 30 million and 40 million people will be infected with HIV. (5) Well over 90 percent of adults newly infected with HIV acquired their infection through heterosexual sex. (5) While few women were infected with HIV a decade ago, they now represent 50 percent of all new HIV infections. (4) Every minute, two men and two women are newly infected with HIV. (5) In many countries, an estimated 60 percent of new HIV infections are among 15 to 24 year olds. (5)

United States: (as of November 1, 1995)

AIDS is the leading cause of death of all American aged 25-44. (1) 501,310 people have been diagnosed with AIDS in the United Sates. (1) More than 311,000 Americans have died of AIDS-related complications. (1) An estimated 650,000 to 900,000 Americans are infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. (1) Seventy percent of those infected do not know their HIV status. (1) In the past year, on average, one American was newly diagnosed with AIDS every seven minutes. (1) In 1986, seven percent of new AIDS cases were among women. In 1994, 18 percent of new cases were among women. (1) One in four new HIV infections occurs in people under age 22. (1) In 1994, most women with AIDS (41 percent) were infected through injection drug use; but nearly as many - 38 percent - were infected by a heterosexual sex partner. (1) In 1994, 1 in every 3 deaths among African-American men between 25-44 years old was due to HIV-related illness. (1) An estimated 1 in 92 American men aged 27 to 39 is infected with HIV. (2)

Massachusetts: (as of November 1, 1995)

AIDS is the leading cause of death in Massachusetts of those 25-44 years old. (3) 10,816 people have been diagnosed with AIDS in Massachusetts. Of those diagnosed, 64 percent or 6,941 have died. (3) An estimated 35,000 Massachusetts residents are infected with HIV and four to five more become infected each day. (3) Massachusetts has the 10th highest AIDS caseload of the United States and the Boston metropolitan area ranks 11th of American cities. (3) Approximately one-fifth of Massachusetts AIDS cases are among people in their 20s and the majority of these individuals were infected as adolescents. (3) More than one-third of all Massachusetts AIDS cases are attributable to injection drug use. (3)