The HIV/AIDS epidemic isn't just happening in faraway places

People here in the United States become infected with HIV far too often -- on average, every 9½ minutes. And it changes not only the lives of those who become infected, but also the lives of their families and friends. Even though the epidemic is different in every city and every state, some groups of people are harder hit by HIV than others. In the United States, gay and bisexual men of all races bear the greatest burden. Black men and women and Hispanic men also have very high rates of HIV compared with other racial or ethnic groups. It is important for people to understand that race, by itself, is not a risk factor for HIV infection. Poverty, homelessness, lack of access to health care, incarceration rates, drug use, and higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can all increase rates of HIV.

HIV/AIDS is having a major impact right here in our Local Community

According to the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) - Bureau of Epidemiology, as of January 1, 2009, there were an estimated 18,200 people in Michigan living with HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately, the disease is distributed very disproportionately across the State. The Southeastern Michigan region, which includes the City of Detroit and Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Lapeer and St. Clair Counties, is home to 44% of the State's population but accounts for 67% (12,370) of the Michigan's estimated cases of HIV. The City of Detroit makes up 9% of Michigan's population, but 39% (5,401) of the State's reported cases of HIV/AIDS.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is having a disproportionate impact on racial/ethnic minority groups

African Americans and other persons of color comprise a disproportionate percentage of people living with HIV/AIDS. African Americans constitute 14% of the population in Michigan, yet account for 58% of people living with HIV/AIDS. The HIV infection rates for African Americans in Michigan far exceed the rates for any other race or ethic group. MDCH estimates that 7,920 African Americans are living with HIV/AIDS in metro Detroit. The estimated HIV infection rate among African Americans is 614 per 100,000 population; that is almost 7½ times greater than the rate among Whites.

To further demonstrate the racial disparity, the MDCH estimates that, 1 out of every 110 African American men in Michigan may be infected with HIV, compared to 1 out of every 330 Hispanic men and 1 out of every 720 White men. This trend also holds true for women. MDCH estimates that 1 out of every 310 African American women may be infected with HIV, compared with 1 out of every 960 Hispanic women and 1 out of every 4,900 White women.

Where did the estimate that every 9½ minutes someone in the United States gets HIV come from?

In 2008, CDC developed new estimates for the annual number of HIV infections -- which suggest that about 56,300 new HIV infections occur each year. This estimate is a national average. CDC arrived at the 9½ minutes figure by dividing the number of minutes in one year by the 56,300 new HIV infections that were estimated for 2006. This result indicates that, on average, one new HIV infection occurs every 9.34 minutes in a year. For more information on the 56,300 estimate visit the HIV Incidence section of the CDC HIV Web site.

Act Against AIDS

Visit CDC's Act Against AIDS Website for more information on the campaign. For media representatives, please visit the CDC Act Against AIDS Newsroom.