The Facts You Don’t Want To Hear

After talking with Dan Healey at BCAP and doing some outside research, I discovered some abysmal facts concerning HIV/AIDS in Colorado. Did you know that over 4,800 people are currently living with AIDS in Colorado and over 88% of those infected are male? Also, there have been 226 cases of HIV and 84 cases of AIDS newly diagnosed since October 1, 2009 in Colorado. Unfortunately, these are only a few of the hundreds of the devastating facts I unearthed about HIV/AIDS. Here are some more ghastly statistics that I couldn’t believe until I read them myself.

Persons Living With AIDS in Colorado (Currently) – Male 4,274 (88.7%) / Female 542 (11.3%)

Ethnicity

·         White, non-Hispanic 2,926 (60.8%)

·         Hispanic 1,046 (21.7%)

·         Black, non-Hispanic 728 (15.1%)

Age

·         13-24 years old, total: 208 (4.4%)

·         25-49 years old, total: 4,055 (84.2%)

·         50 years old & Older, total: 547 (11.3%)

Cause of Transmission

·         Male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use among men accounted for 3,329 (77.9%) of the 4,274 current cases of AIDS in Colorado

·         Injection drug use and high risk sexual contact among women accounted for 436 (80.4%) of the 542 current cases of AIDS in Colorado

After reviewing these facts, I am just stunned to see how dramatic the difference in current AIDS cases is between men and women, specifically white males. Males alone accounted for 88.7% of all current cases of AIDS in Colorado compared to 11.3% for females, with 60.8% of those males being white. This great disparity is a complete shock to me. What could possibly create such an inequality between the sexes? My guess; the high number male cases in general coupled with the increase in high risk male-to-male sexual contact. I believe there is a negative stigma still attached to HIV/AIDS testing and that males are afraid to become associated with that current stigma.  Also, with increased testing present throughout Colorado and the rest of the United States, I believe more people who think they may have AIDS are taking an initiative to get themselves tested. This is the case most likely concerning males of today, those of which did not use protection and/or try and reduce their risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS and are paying the consequences.  

Even though these statistics are hard to believe, I hope an increase in awareness and education can stop this trend from continuing. With organizations such as BCAP making their services available to those in need with the HIV/AIDS disease, the disease can be combated and hopefully put into submission.

For More Information, Please Visit: http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/dc/HIVandSTD/HIV_STDSurv/HIV-AIDS_Surveillance.Report.Sept.10.pdf

& http://www.bcap.org/about_hiv_testing_logistics.html

By: Taylor Stephan