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For immediate release: November 30, 2007 (07-207)
OLYMPIA ¾ Better data estimates are helping state health officials more accurately assess the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in our state. Recent, more reliable data place the number between 11,000 and 12,000 compared to earlier figures between 9,000 and 14,000.
Improvements in data collection and disease reporting have provided more precise estimates over the years, narrowing the figures to give health officials a clearer picture of HIV/AIDS in our state. Improved information on HIV testing and the number of people at risk for the disease have also played a role in the more precise numbers.
Better data collecting has led to a reduction in the number of people with the disease worldwide. In advance of World AIDS Day on December 1, the World Health Organization and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS have published major revisions of the number of people living with HIV/AIDS. Reports show 33.2 million people are living with the condition worldwide, compared to about 39.5 million people in 2006. This decrease is due to better tracking systems, better information from some countries and growing knowledge of the progression of HIV disease.
The state health department has also revised estimates of people who are infected with HIV and don’t know it. About 10-20 percent of HIV-positive people living in Washington don’t know they are infected. In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that about 25 percent of people in the U.S. were not aware of their infection.
Getting tested for HIV is the first step to getting access to prevention and care services. Globally, more people are getting tested because there is better access to drugs that allow people to live with the disease. The CDC recommends everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 be tested at least once for HIV and annually if they’re in an identified risk group. Partnering with local health, the state supports a variety of HIV prevention activities, including testing.
Revised data continues to demonstrate the vast impact of this disease. Public health experts will continue to develop a better understanding of what works to prevent transmitting HIV/AIDS. An important component of prevention is knowing your status. Get tested so you can take charge of your health and the health of others. Leadership is the theme of this year’s World AIDS Day — so lead by example and get tested.
Information on HIV prevention (http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/HIV.htm) is available on the Department of Health Web site. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has more information on World AIDS Day (http://www.hhs.gov/aidsawarenessdays/days/world/index.html).
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