HIV rate stable but unacceptable, CDC says
July 7, 1996
Web posted at: 1:35 a.m. EDT (0535 GMT)VANCOUVER, British Columbia (CNN) -- The rate of HIV infection, the precursor to AIDS, in the United States appears to be stabilizing but at an "unacceptably high level," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Saturday.
The American Medical Association, meanwhile, said U.S. doctors should be more frank with patients in discussing anything from sex to drug use.
To help physicians achieve this, the AMA has developed guidelines that will be sent to every family practictioner, internist, pediatrician and gynecologist. One section discusses how drug users can sterilize needles.
"Sometimes, the best thing we can do for our patients is to tell them what the best behavior is and then negotiate something they can live with," Nancy Dickey, chairman of the AMA board of trustees, said. She said doctors always can be more open with patients. (111K AIFF or WAV sound)
Both the CDC and AMA made their announcements during daylong briefings on the eve of the 11th International Conference on AIDS that will take place Sunday through July 12 in Vancouver. It is the first meeting in two years.
More than 13,000 delegates, including activists and research scientists, will share their ideas for containing the worldwide epidemic.
Demonstrators protested against the AMA Saturday, saying mandatory HIV testing of pregnant women in the United States should not be required. (68K AIFF or WAV sound)
HIV rate still high
In its report, the CDC said one of every 300 Americans is infected with the HIV virus. Some groups are harder hit.
For example, one in 50 black men -- 2 percent of the population -- is believed to be infected compared to about one in 3,000 white women, according to the CDC study.
In all, the number of Americans infected with HIV has practically doubled from 1984 to 1992. An estimated 450,000 people were HIV positive in 1984; up to 900,000 Americans had the virus eight years later.
"The number of Americans living with HIV increased significantly during the mid- to late-1980s and now may have stabilized, but at an unacceptably high level," said the CDC's John Karon.
Karon and his colleagues estimated that half of the HIV-infected population are gay or bi-sexual men; one-fourth are intravenuous drug users and about 15 percent are heterosexual.
The AMA's book is aimed at helping time-pressed family doctors inform patients about various AIDS-related risks. They hope to distribute more than 200,000 books by the end of the year.
"Patients want to discuss their sexual concerns with their doctors," Dickey said.
CNN Correspondent Dan Rutz and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related sites:
FeedbackSend us your comments.Selected responses are posted daily. |
|
![[Imagemap]](/US/images/9601/navbar.gif){kind=small}
Copyright © 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
