The expanding AIDS epidemic among people who inject drugs – 2

The number of people living with AIDS acquired through injecting drug use  increased from 85,300 in 1996 to 113,300 in 2000.(1)

The number of people living with drug-related HIV/AIDS would be even higher if national statistics were available for people who are living with HIV but have not yet progressed to AIDS.(2)

AIDS deaths fell from 14,400 in 1996 to 6,600 in 2000.(3) 

Footnotes

(1) "People living with AIDS acquired through injecting drug use" includes both current and former injecting drug users.  The numbers are the sum of two exposure categories "injecting drug use" and "men who have sex with men and inject drugs" and are taken from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2001.  HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report. U.S. HIV and AIDS cases reported through June 2001.  Vol. 13, No. 1. Table 27.

(2) Drug-related HIV/AIDS cases in the U.S. could number as high as 320,000 to 360,000.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are 800,000 to 900,000 Americans with HIV/AIDS, including 300,000 who do not know their HIV status.  Assuming that 40 percent of the estimated HIV/AIDS cases are drug-related, we get to the estimate of 320,000to 360,000. 

The estimate that there are 800,000 to 900,000 Americans with HIV/AIDS and that as many as 300,000 do not know their HIV status is taken from Robert S. Janssen, David R. Holtgrave, Ronald O. Valdiserri and others. 2001. "The serostatus approach to fighting the HIV epidemic: prevention strategies for infected individuals." American Journal of Public Health. July. vol. 91. no. 7. pages 1019-1024.

The estimate that 40 percent of all HIV/AIDS infections are injection-related is based on the percent of new AIDS cases in 2000 involving 3 exposure groups: "injecting drug use," "men who have sex with men and inject drugs" and "heterosexual partners of injecting drug users." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report. U.S. HIV and AIDS cases reported through December 2000, Vol. 12, No. 2, Tables 22 and 23. 

Data from emergency departments in hospitals in areas where the prevalence of HIV infection is high indicate that half of infected persons are unaware of their HIV infection.  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, “Anonymous or Confidential HIV Counseling and Voluntary Testing in Federally Funded Testing Sites – United States, 1995-1997,” June 25, 1999, vol. 48, no. 24, pages 509-513.

(3) "People who died from AIDS acquired through injecting drug use" includes both current and former injecting drug users. The numbers are the sum of two exposure categories "injecting drug use" and "men who have sex with men and inject drugs." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2001.  HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report. U.S. HIV and AIDS cases reported through June 2001.  Vol. 13, No. 1. Table 30.

For a list of other materials used on this website, see References.