ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, May 17, 1996 TAG: 9605170077
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ATLANTA
AIDS cases contracted through intravenous drug use are 17 times more common among black women than white women, and 14 times more common among black men than white men, the government said Thursday.
AIDS cases among all IV drug users continue to rise, although the growth rate is slowing, according to 1995 figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And while the Northeast continues to post the highest rate of AIDS cases associated with IV drug use, the South and the West are rapidly gaining, particularly among heterosexuals and blacks.
In 1995, the rate of IV-associated cases among black women was 31.8 cases per 100,000 population. The rate among white women was 1.9 per 100,000.
The rate among black men was 78.7 vs. 5.8 for white men, 44.7 for Hispanic men and 15 for Hispanic women.
Because AIDS in IV drug users is probably underreported, the figures in the report represent minimum estimates, the CDC said.
- Associated Press
LENGTH: Short : 29 linesby CNB