New DC HIV AIDS Cases Fall 33 Percent

D.C.’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is still at an epidemic level.

But according to a new report by D.C. health officials, the number of new aids cases diagnosed in 2009 fell 33 percent, and the number of D.C. residents dying from AIDS decreased by 30 percent.

About 3 percent of D.C. residents over the age of 12 are living with HIV or AIDS. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has historically defined an HIV epidemic as severe when the overall percentage of the disease among residents of a specific area exceeds 1 percent.

Officials say they expected the number of cases to go up because of increased testing and longer life expectancy for people with the disease.

Dr. Shanon Hader, director of D.C.'s HIV/AIDS Administration, joined us to talk about the findings.

On the net:
www.dchealth.dc.gov