Associated Press

Yearly estimates allow better recognition of trends in the U.S. epidemic. For example, the new report found that infections are falling among heterosexuals and injection drug users.

Some experts celebrated that finding, saying it’s a tribute to prevention efforts, including nearly 200 syringe exchange programs now operating in 36 states despite a federal ban on funding for such projects.

But they also lamented the CDC’s finding that infections continue to increase in gay and bisexual men, who accounted for more than half of HIV infections in 2006. Also, more than a third of those with HIV are younger than 30.

Every time you hear the claim that this is a disease that is everyone’s problem, remember the above stats: A social subgroup that represents less then 3% of a population account for more then 50% of the infections of HIV. While the experts insist that it’s not a problem of the gay community, they also see their primary means of reducing the infection rate in the heterosexual community being needle exchange programs.

They are not admitting the numbers of those on the heterosexual side that are infected through needles — neither are they separating out spouses who are infected by a partner they wrongly assume is heterosexual and monogamous. I suspect that if we factor the above in, we actually cut the heterosexual infection rate at least in half.

So many times we hear stats saying things like, “The greatest increase in infections has been seen in the heterosexual community among women.” Trouble is, we don’t stop to think about them. If you have already saturated one group, then you will always be able to claim percentage of growth in the other is high — even if it is actually microscopic in terms of the whole. (There are lies, damned lies — and then there are statistics…) The reality here is that it’s unsafe anal sex (Now just termed virus chasing) and IV drug use that is still in the driver’s seat of HIV.

“Obviously,” it’s then time to launch an ad campaign aimed at heterosexuals and based on race to scare them about AIDS…

Whether more funding comes or not, the revised estimate clearly is a “wake-up call to scale things up,” said Dr. Kevin Fenton, who oversees CDC’s prevention efforts for HIV/AIDS.

Some said more attention needs to focus on prevention among blacks, who account for nearly half of annual HIV infections, according to the new CDC report.

Yep, apparently political correctness is still alive and well in the CDC…