Definitions

HIV Prevalence Estimate

HIV Incidence Estimate

Diagnoses of HIV Infection

Diagnoses of HIV Infection by Age
Diagnoses of HIV Infection by Race/Ethnicity
Diagnoses of HIV Infection by Transmission Category
Persons Living with a Diagnosis of HIV Infection
Deaths of Persons with a Diagnosis of HIV Infection

AIDS Diagnoses

AIDS Diagnoses by Age
AIDS Diagnoses by Race/Ethnicity
AIDS Diagnoses by Transmission Category
AIDS Diagnoses by Top 10 States/Dependent Areas
Persons Living with an AIDS Diagnoses
Deaths of Persons with an AIDS Diagnoses

State-by-State HIV Infection and AIDS Data

International Statistics

Definitions

• Diagnosis of HIV infection: This refers to persons diagnosed with HIV infection, regardless of the stage of disease at diagnosis (e.g., if they have progressed to AIDS) from the 42 areas (37 states and 5 U.S. dependent areas) that have had confidential name-based HIV infection reporting long enough (i.e., since at least January 2005) allow for stabilization of data collection and for adjustment of the data in order to monitor trends. According to the number of AIDS diagnoses reported to CDC through 2008, these 37 states represent approximately 68% of AIDS diagnoses in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
• AIDS Diagnosis: This refers to persons diagnosed with Stage 3 HIV infection (AIDS), based on the 2008 CDC case definition for adults, adolescents and children.
• Dependent Areas: American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• 37 States and 5 U.S. Dependent Areas with Confidential Name-Based HIV Infection Reporting: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  Learn more about HIV infection reporting.
• Transmission Category: The classification of a case that indicates the risk factor most likely to have been responsible for transmission. Cases are counted only once in a hierarchy of transmission categories. Persons with more than 1 reported risk factor for HIV infection are classified in the transmission category listed first in the hierarchy. The exception is men who report sexual contact with other men and injection drug use; this group makes up a separate transmission category.
• HIV Incidence: The number of new HIV infections in a specific population during a specific period of time.
• HIV Prevalence: The number of people living with HIV infection in a given year.

For more definitions and details about how HIV infection and AIDS data are tabulated, read the "Technical Notes" from the HIV Surveillance Report: Diagnoses of HIV Infection and AIDS in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2008 .

For additional details on HIV disease surveillance, view the Kaiser Family Foundation tutorial: Understanding HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data in the United States.

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HIV Prevalence Estimate

Prevalence is the number of people living with HIV infection at the end of a given year.

At the end of 2006, an estimated 1,106,400 persons (95% confidence interval 1,056,400-1,156,400) in the United States were living with HIV infection, with 21% undiagnosed.¹

For more information see "HIV in the United States."

¹ CDC. HIV Prevalence Estimates—United States, 2006. MMWR 2008;57(39):1073-76.

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HIV Incidence Estimate

Incidence is the number of new HIV infections that occur during a given year.

¹Hall HI, Ruiguang S, Rhodes P, et al. Estimation of HIV incidence in the United States. JAMA. 2008;300:520-529.

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Diagnoses of HIV Infection

In 2008, the estimated number of diagnoses of HIV infection in the 37 states and 5 U.S. dependent areas with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting was 42,439. Of these, 41,269 were in the 37 states and 1,170 were in the 5 dependent areas. In the 37 states, diagnoses of HIV infection among adults and adolescents totaled 41,087 with 30,755 diagnoses in males and 10,332 diagnoses in females, Among children under age 13 years, there were an estimated 182 diagnoses of HIV infection in 2008.

Estimated numbers resulted from statistical adjustment that accounted for delays in reporting to the health department (but not for incomplete reporting) and missing risk factor information, where appropriate.

Because totals for the estimated numbers were calculated independently of the values for the subpopulations, the subpopulation values may not equal the totals.

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Diagnoses of HIV Infection by Age

Of the estimated number of diagnoses of HIV infection in the 37 states with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting in 2008, the distribution of ages at time of diagnosis was as follows:

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Diagnoses of HIV Infection by Race/Ethnicity

CDC tracks diagnoses of HIV infection information on seven racial and ethnic groups: American Indian/Alaska Native; Asian; Black/African American; Hispanic/Latino; Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander; White; and Multiple Races.

In 2008, the estimated number of diagnoses of HIV infection in the 37 states with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting, by race or ethnicity was as follows:

For more details on HIV infection and race/ethnicity, see CDC's Populations/Surveillance fact sheets.

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Diagnoses of HIV Infection by Transmission Category

Six common transmission categories are male-to-male sexual contact, injection drug use, male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use, heterosexual contact, mother-to-child (perinatal) transmission, and other (includes blood transfusions and unknown cause).

Following is the distribution of the estimated number of diagnoses of HIV infection among adults and adolescents in the 37 states with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting, by transmission category. A breakdown by sex is provided where appropriate.
 

The distribution of the estimated number of diagnoses of HIV infection among children* in the 37 states with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting, by transmission category, follows:

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Persons Living with a Diagnosis of HIV Infection.

At the end of 2007, the estimated number of persons living with a diagnosis of HIV infection in the 37 states and 5 U.S. dependent areas with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting was 599,819. In the 37 states only, this included 577,452 adults and adolescents, and 2,919 children under age 13 years.

Data include persons with a diagnosis of HIV infection regardless of the stage of disease at diagnosis. Estimated numbers resulted from statistical adjustment that accounted for delays in reporting to the health department (but not for incomplete reporting) and missing risk factor information, where appropriate.

Because of delays in reporting of deaths, data are only available through the end of 2007.  The exclusion of data from the most recent year allows at least 18 months for deaths to be reported and for these persons to be removed from calculations of persons living with a diagnosis of HIV infection. 

Totals include persons of unknown race/ethnicity.  Because totals for the estimated numbers were calculated independently of the values for the subpopulations, the subpopulation values may not equal the totals.

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Deaths of Persons with a Diagnosis of HIV Infection

In 2007, the estimated number of deaths of persons with a diagnosis of HIV infection in the 37 States and 5 U.S. dependent areas with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting was 17,197. In the 37 states only, this included 16,651 adults and adolescents, and 8 children under age 13 years.

Deaths of persons with a diagnosis of HIV infection may be due to any cause.

Data include persons with a diagnosis of HIV infection regardless of the stage of disease at diagnosis. Estimated numbers resulted from statistical adjustment that accounted for delays in reporting to the health department (but not for incomplete reporting) and missing risk factor information, where appropriate. Because of delays in reporting of deaths, data are only available through the end of 2007. The exclusion of data from the most recent year allows at least 18 months for deaths of persons with a diagnosis of HIV infection to be reported.

Totals include persons of unknown race/ethnicity.  Because totals for the estimated numbers were calculated independently of the values for the subpopulations, the subpopulation values may not equal the totals.

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AIDS Diagnoses

In 2008, the estimated number of persons diagnosed with AIDS in the United States and dependent areas was 37,991. Of these, 37,151 were diagnosed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia and 840 were diagnosed in the dependent areas.  In the 50 states and the District of Columbia, 27,543 AIDS diagnoses were among adult and adolescent males, 9,567 were among adult and adolescent females, and 41 diagnoses were among children under age 13 years.

The cumulative estimated number of AIDS diagnoses through 2008 in the United States and dependent areas was 1,106,391. Of these, 1,073,128 were diagnosed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia and 33,262 were diagnosed in the dependent areas.  In the 50 states and the District of Columbia, 851,974 cumulative AIDS diagnoses were among adult and adolescent males,  211,804 were among adult and adolescent females, and 9,349 were among children under age 13 years.

Estimated numbers resulted from statistical adjustment that accounted for delays in reporting to the health department (but not for incomplete reporting) and missing risk factor information, where appropriate.

Cumulative totals include persons of unknown race/ethnicity.  Because totals for the estimated numbers were calculated independently of the values for the subpopulations, the subpopulation values may not equal the totals.

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AIDS Diagnoses by Age

Of the estimated number of AIDS diagnoses in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the distribution of ages at time of diagnosis was as follows:

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AIDS Diagnoses by Race/Ethnicity

CDC tracks AIDS information on seven racial and ethnic groups: American Indian/Alaska Native; Asian; Black/African American; Hispanic/Latino; Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander; White and Multiple Races.

In 2008, the estimated number of AIDS diagnoses in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, by race or ethnicity was as follows:

For more details on AIDS and race/ethnicity, see CDC's Populations/Surveillance fact sheets.

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AIDS Diagnoses by Transmission Category

Six common transmission categories are male-to-male sexual contact, injection drug use, male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use, heterosexual contact, mother-to-child (perinatal) transmission, and other (includes blood transfusions and unknown cause).

Following is the distribution of the estimated number of AIDS diagnoses among adults and adolescents by transmission category in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. A breakdown by sex is provided where appropriate.