What is the breakdown concerning AIDS?

For instance, who gets AIDS? What is the percentage ,re: homosexuals, VS. drug users,vs.hetrosexuals?

Hello:
First we have to distinguish between being HIV positive and having full blown AIDS. There is a big difference. AIDS only occurs when your immune system is so overwhelmed by the virus that your T-lymphocyte (CD4 subtype) count has dropped so low that you start getting every infection floating around out there. Many patients live with being HIV positive and do not go on to develop full blown AIDS thanks to all of the new medications available now.
I cannot give you the exact percentages, however I can tell you that they have changed dramatically over the past several years.
It used to be that gay white men made up the majority of new cases. That is not true anymore. In fact, the fastest growing part of the population now is black, female heterosexuals. Infants of infected mothers is rising also. IV drug abusers has slowed down a bit since many places are giving out clean needles so people dont have to share contaminated ones.
These statistics are mainly for the United States.
Different story in other countries such as Africa, India, China, and Russia where the new cases are skyrocketing (Russia is seeing an enormous increase because a lot of teens and young persons are using drugs intravenously and sharing their "works". Even sharing straws to snort cocaine, meth and heroin can transmit the virus).
Thailand is one of the countries where the number of new cases is actually dropping, in part by the laws which require the sex workers to use condoms 100% of the time (believe it or not, they actually check to see that their "Johns" used a condom when you leave the "brothels" or other places. Kind of gross, but they check to see that your condom is "used" if you know what I mean).
The number of full blown AIDS cases is decreasing in our Country mainly due to the fact that there are so many medications now (triple drug cocktails) which are keeping people healthier longer and not developing full blown AIDS. So being HIV positive is not a death sentence like it used to be. I have patients in my office who are long term survivors, infected in the mid 80's and their blood tests are HIV virus undetectable!!!!
I hope this helped answer your question. Sorry I couldnt give you actual numbers but it is really hard to find them unless you spend umpteen hours researching medical texts, censuses and CDC reports.
Regards,
Warren Shaffer, M.D.

THIS SHOULD BE A SHOCK TO YOU MEN

I READ IN MENS HEALTH MAGAZINE THAT IT WAS MARRIED MEN AT THE HIGHEST RATE TO GET INFECTED


MARRIAGE
GOOD FOR HER
NOT HIM