The number of African-American women who are (getting infected with) the AIDS virus may be much higher in some big cities than was previous thought. That's according to a new study released at a (scientific meeting) in Seattle. We have details from NPR's Rob Stein.
For the study, researchers analyzed data collected from more than 2,000 women in six (urban areas) in the Northeast and Southeast hit hardest by the AIDS epidemic. These so-called HIV (hot spots) are Baltimore, Atlanta, Washington DC, New York City, Newark, New Jersey and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. The researchers found that the rate at which women were getting infected with HIV was about five times higher than would have been expected based on previous (estimates). Nearly 90% of the women in the study were African-American. The researchers say the findings indicate efforts need to be (intensified) to stop the spread of AIDS virus, especially among African-Americans living in urban areas in the United States. Rob Stein, NPR News.