US capital has severe HIV epidemic, report finds

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Washington, D.C., has the highest rate of AIDS in the United States, and more babies are born with the AIDS virus in Washington than in other U.S. cities, according to a report released on Monday.

People living in Washington also are not getting tested for HIV and show up with advanced infections that progress quickly to AIDS, the report by city health officials found.

The report found that Washington, with a population of around 600,000 people, has a rate of 128 AIDS cases per 100,000 people in 2006, compared with a national rate of 14 cases per 100,000. The city accounted for 9 percent of all pediatric AIDS cases in the United States during 2005.

<snip>

Of the 12,428 people infected with HIV in Washington, 80 percent are black, the report found. More than 8,300 had fully progressed to AIDS and 224 died of AIDS in 2006.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N26430720.htm

[pattmarty]

1. Our nations capital. This is plain & simple a fucking disgrace.

[Quantess]

2. Might this explain something?

Washington has a unique status among U.S. cities. When it was established as the U.S. capital, it was kept apart from states and put under congressional management, although it has an elected mayor and city council.

[boricua79]

3. a lot of irresponsible people..

one thing is to not know...another thing to not make it your problem to know.

14 to 100,000 in the rest of the country, and 128 to 100,000.

Forgive me if I seem unsympathetic or not very liberal on this point. ALlow me to explain why. I work in a low-income community and my employment experience has transformed many of my more altruistic, liberal-minded views. While I'm still a liberal, I have definitely seen a streak of "personal responsibility" values rise to the top of my political thought. I see a lot of low-income people actively cheating the system or not caring enough for themselves or their children. Single-motherhood is rampant, lack of parenting of kids is rampant, dysfunctional families and sexual relationships are rampant, etc. In other words, I put most blame on the people themselves.

Can there be better social programs? Would I pay more taxes for them? Yes and Yes. I'm all for doing everything we can on the governmental side of thing. But, I am resentful of the rampant irresponsibility that I witness in low-income communities to...and I'm willing to bet that D.C. is going through the same. How people do not use condoms or check themselves at free test clinics is beyond me...yet it happens all the time.

A rant from a conscience warrior that fights the good fight every day...in low-income, minority neighborhoods.

[Didereaux]

4. thank you, finally someone around here understands the problem

[humbled_opinion]

5. Well said keep up the good struggle. n/t

[Hobarticus]

8. Good post...keep fighting the good fight. eom

[Supersedeas]

6. right beneath the noses of the chattering class in the Beltway

[doc03]

7. It's all those wide stance Republicans

having unprotected gay sex!:sarcasm: