The epidemiology of AIDS in Connecticut

From 1980 to 30 September 1990, 1,769 Connecticut cases of AIDS have been diagnosed and reported. The epidemiology of AIDS in Connecticut continues to differ from national patterns in several important ways. Intravenous drug users (IVDUs) have been the most prominent source of new cases since 1986 and made up 49% of all cases reported in 1990. Women comprise 20% of the total adult caseload; twice the national average. Connecticut's pediatric cases are 3.3% of total cases, the highest proportion among US reporting areas with 100 or more total AIDS cases. Blacks and Hispanics comprise 55% of cases, although they represent only 11% of the total population of Connecticut. The most recent annual incidence rate for Connecticut is similar to that for the country as a whole (13.3/100,000). However, Connecticut's three central cities had annual incidence rates that are much higher: Bridgeport, 28.7/100,000; New Haven, 55.5/100,000; and Hartford, 64.9/100,000. The Department of Health Services estimates that approximately 12,000 persons in Connecticut are currently infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). About 4,200 intravenous drug users are already infected. In addition, we estimate that approximately 800 new infections will occur in adults and adolescents each year. Data from various New Haven based seroprevalence studies indicate that seropositivity is high. Among patients in clinics for sexually transmitted diseases, one in every 25 was infected with HIV; among women attending women's health clinics, one in 91 was infected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)