Which State Has the Highest Rate of Teenage HIV Infection?

Statistics suggest that the state with the highest rate of teenage HIV infection is New York, followed by California.

According to the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) statistics. New York state has the highest level of HIV infections amongst adults and adolescents. As of the latest statistics available as of June 2010, New York has reported the highest number of HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths from the beginning of the epidemic. These statistics track from the beginning of the epidemic through December of 2008.

Altogether, throughout the years, New York has reported 192,753 AIDS cases to the NCHHSTP, with even more people reported to be living with the HIV virus who have yet to have their illness develop into full blown AIDS.

California is the second highest state with the most reported cases of AIDS, according to the NCHHSTP. From the beginning of the AIDS epidemic through December of 2008, there have been 160,293 reported AIDS cases in the state of California, with even more reports of those living with HIV. These were the reported cases of AIDS amongst adults and adolescents over the age of thirteen.

Additional Frightening AIDS Statistics

To fully understand the impact of this disease, it is important to consider some other sobering statistics about HIV and AIDS.

• According to the NCHHSTP and the statistics provided by the organization known as AVERT, AIDS has claimed the lives of more than 550,000 Americans.
• More than 1,100,000 Americans are infected with the HIV virus, the virus that causes AIDS. Of this estimated number of Americans living with HIV, approximately one fifth of them do not even know they are carrying the virus. This has led to the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic and the long lasting search for a cure.
• According to statistics presented by the Center for Disease Control, the estimated number of people in 37 states in the United States and five U.S. dependent areas with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting in the year 2007 totaled more than one million.
• It is estimated that, of the one million people infected with the HIV virus in this same year, more than half a million died due to AIDS. The Center for Disease Control does not officially report on the number of those living with HIV/AIDS on a yearly basis to allow times for numbers to be accurate for those newly diagnosed and to allow time for reporting of death due to AIDS. However, a separate entity within the Center for Disease Control does keep estimated yearly tabs by state, age, and ethnicity for all 50 states and five dependent U.S. areas. This allows for an estimate of which state has the highest rate of HIV AIDS infections among teens and adults.

AIDS and HIV are preventable. Always practice abstinence or safe sex.