Incidence and diagnoses of HIV infection - Puerto Rico, 2006

Abstract

In 2006, 33 U.S. states and five territories had confidential, name-based, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection reporting; among territories, Puerto Rico had the second highest rate of HIV infection. To characterize the HIV epidemic in Puerto Rico in 2006 (the year with the most recent available data), the Puerto Rico Department of Health and CDC analyzed data on diagnoses of HIV infection (including infections that occurred in 2006 and in previous years) and used a stratified extrapolation approach developed by CDC to generate HIV incidence estimates (the number of persons newly infected with HIV in 2006). The results indicated that, in 2006, an estimated 1,440 persons aged >or=13 years were newly infected with HIV in Puerto Rico, resulting in an estimated incidence rate of 45.0 cases per 100,000 population, twice the rate for the 50 U.S. states and District of Columbia (DC). Males accounted for 65% of new HIV infections in Puerto Rico, and 38% of new HIV infections occurred among persons aged 30-39 years; 39% of new infections were associated with injection-drug use, and 37% with high-risk heterosexual contact. The results provide insight into HIV transmission patterns in Puerto Rico that can help guide allocation of resources and the planning, implementation, and evaluation of HIV prevention programs and other services.