Or at the very least is quoting from a different CDC report than the one I've seen.

See the Related Link. This is the most recent CDC report of which I'm aware. Figure 3 gives the pertinent information which is somewhat different than that stated in the Reuters article.

For those who don't want to wade through the Related Link I will summarize.

Figure 3. "Estimated Number of New HIV Infections, by Transmission Category, 2006" (apparently the latest year for which data are available) gives the numbers as: (1) 53% Male-to-Male Sexual Contact, (2) 31% High-Risk Hetrosexual Contact, (3) 12% Injection Drug Use, (4) 4% Male-to-Male Sexual Contact AND IDU.

This is one of those cases where reading the footnotes is important. Footnote 2 says, "The term high-risk heterosexual contact is used to describe persons who report specific heterosexual contact with a person known to have, or to be at high risk for, HIV infection (e.g., an injection drug user)."

Almost all new HIV infections will be in one of the high-risk groups listed.

Note that the CDC report refers to safer-sex and does not use the term safe-sex. The term safe-sex is misleading and should be avoided.

Assuming that one of your partners is HIV positive, the use of a condom should reduce (but not completely eliminate) HIV transmission risk. See "Couples Study in Haiti Shows Reduction in Heterosexual HIV Transmission" ( http://www.thebody.com/content/art6535.html ). The link states, "The investigators observed a seroconversion rate of 1.0 per 100 person years for couples who always used a condom, and 6.8 per 100 person years for couples who used condoms irregularly or not at all."  

However, I just found the following in the CDC report.

"Men accounted for most of the estimated new HIV infections in the United States in 2006 (73%, or 41,400) (Figure 6). CDC’s historical analysis indicates that the number of infections among men has mirrored the overall trend in HIV incidence, peaking during 1984–85 and reaching a low point in the early 1990s (Figure 7). Among women, incidence rose gradually until the late 1980s, declined during the early 1990s, and remained relatively stable after that time."

If men are 73% then it follows that women account for 27% (or 26% as the Reuter's article says) of the new HIV infections.

Sorry about the error.

-- Modified on 12/17/2008 12:49:37 PM

-- Modified on 12/17/2008 4:44:25 PM

At least we seem to be off the hook as far as Apophis is concerned. As of October 19, 2006, the impact probability for April 13, 2036, was calculated as 1 in 45,000.

See Related Link.

You are not only a wizard at math but science as well. Is this snow or asteroids? lol

-- Modified on 12/18/2008 2:58:54 AM