Let’s kick off 2012 with a look at the latest statistics available on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Hudson Valley. In December 2011, the New York State Health Department’s AIDS Institute’s Bureau of HIV/AIDS Epidemiology published their annual “HIV/AIDS Surveillance Annual Report,” and we’ve crunched the numbers for a more localized look at the stats. Unfortunately, the latest figures collected are from 2009, as the process for collecting HIV/AIDS data takes a while, and NYS must verify all cases of HIV and AIDS. Despite the data lag, these numbers still reveal some interesting–and disturbing–trends in the Hudson Valley.
All stats below are for the entire Hudson Valley (Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties, which matches ARCS’ catchment area). For county stats, send us an email.
Living with HIV/AIDS
Total living with HIV/AIDS: 6,216 people
Men living with HIV/AIDS: 3,953 (63.6%)
Women living with HIV/AIDS: 2,263 (36.4%)
A significant percentage of those living with HIV/AIDS are in their forties: ages 40-49 make up 34.6% of those with HIV/AIDS (2,152). The next largest age group is their peers aged 50-59 at 31.4% (1,949).
African-Americans are still disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. They comprise a whopping 40% of all people living with HIV/AIDS (2,506 people) even though they only make up 11.1% of the region’s overall population. Latin Americans make up 25.3% of those living with the virus (1,570 cases) despite the fact that they make up just 15.6% of the Hudson Valley population.
Nearly a third of those living with HIV/AIDS were infected via heterosexual sex–1,909 cases or 30.7%. The next largest risk group is MSM (men who have sex with men) at 25.3% (1,572 cases). Injection drug use accounted for much of the remainder of cases at 24.1% (1,495 cases).
New HIV Infections
In 2009, there were 212 new cases of HIV in the Hudson Valley.
Again, the majority were infected through heterosexual contact: 41.5% (88 cases). A close second were Men Having Sex with Men at 35.4% (75 cases).
13% of new HIV infections were among those aged 13 to 24 (28 cases). That age group comprises 17% of the overall Valley population.
Those aged 25-29 are even more disproportionately impacted by the virus, as there were 32 new HIV cases in that age group, making up 15.1%. The Late Twenties group makes up just 5.4% of the overall population.
African-Americans counted for 41% of all new infections (87 cases), and Latin Americans made up 31.1% (66 cases). These minority groups are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS.
Cumulative AIDS Diagnoses
Since the beginning of the epidemic, there have been 9,642 cases of AIDS. 5,560 people Hudson Valley residents have died due to AIDS.
Download a PDF of the Hudson Valley charts here.