• As of December 31, 2010, a cumulative total of 30,876 HIV/AIDS cases have been reported in Louisiana, including 316 pediatric cases.
• The cumulative number of deaths among persons diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, reported to the Louisiana Office of Public Health through December 31, 2010, is 12,755 including 103 deaths among pediatric cases.
• A total of 18,308 persons are living with HIV/AIDS in Louisiana; of these individuals, 10,035 persons (55%) have an AIDS diagnosis.  
• Among women living with HIV/AIDS, the predominant known mode of transmission is high-risk heterosexual contact followed by injection drug use. Among men living with HIV/AIDS, the predominant mode of transmission is men who have sex with men followed by high-risk heterosexual contact.  
• Nationally, Louisiana ranked 4th highest in AIDS case rates and 11th in the number of AIDS cases diagnosed in 2008, according to the CDC 2008 HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report (Vol. 20).  
• The Baton Rouge metropolitan area ranked 2nd for AIDS case rates among the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. in 2008; New Orleans metropolitan area ranked 3rd.  
• In 2009, 1,219 new HIV cases were diagnosed in Louisiana. Of these cases, 32% (n=388) occurred in Region 1 (New Orleans) and 25% (n=310) occurred in Region 2 (Baton Rouge).  
• In 2009, 794 new AIDS cases were diagnosed in Louisiana. Of these cases, 30% (n=238) occurred in Region 1 (New Orleans) and 25% (n=203) occurred in Region 2 (Baton Rouge).  
• In Louisiana, 33% of new HIV cases and 31% of new AIDS cases are among women.  
• HIV continues to disproportionately affect African Americans in Louisiana. In 2009, 76% of newly diagnosed HIV cases and 76% of newly diagnosed AIDS cases were among African Americans.

  *Highlighted Facts. Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Office of Public Health HIV/AIDS Surveillance. Accessed December 31, 2010: Click Here

 ¹ For more information about the HIV/AIDS rankings recently released by the CDC, please click here.

State of Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Office of Public Health 2009 HIV/AIDS Report please click here.

On February 25, 2011, the CDC released their annual HIV Surveillance Report, 2009; Vol 21.

For AIDS diagnoses, we are able to compare Louisiana to all 50 states.  All 50 states have mature, name-based reporting systems for AIDS cases.

 AIDS CASE RATES:

The state of Louisiana ranked 5th in estimated AIDS case rates (19.4 per 100,000) in 2009. In 2008, Louisiana ranked 4th.

The Baton Rouge MSA ranked 2nd in estimated AIDS case rates (30.6 per 100,000) and the New Orleans MSA ranked 9th in estimated AIDS case rates (23.0 per 100,000) in 2009 among the large metropolitan areas in the nation. (In 2008, the Baton Rouge MSA ranked 2nd and the New Orleans MSA ranked 3rd). The AIDS case rate for both MSAs decreased significantly from 2008 to 2009.

 HIV CASE RATES:

For new diagnoses of HIV, we are only able to compare Louisiana to 39 other states in 2009. Only 40 states had a mature, name-based reporting system for HIV diagnoses. Many states that have significant HIV epidemics are not included in the analysis (California, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, DC).  In the next few years, all 50 states will have a mature reporting system and we will be able to make a national comparison.

Of the 40 states with a mature reporting system, Louisiana ranked 4th in estimated HIV case rates in 2009 (28.8 per 100,000). In 2008, Louisiana ranked 4th and had an estimated HIV case rate of 29.0 per 100,000 (only 37 states were used in the 2008 analysis).

For the 2009 MSA comparison, only MSA’s from 40 states were considered in the analysis. The Baton Rouge MSA ranked 2nd and the New Orleans MSA ranked 6th in HIV case rates in 2009. In 2008, only 37 states were used for the analysis and the Baton Rouge MSA ranked 5th (44.0 per 100,000) and the New Orleans MSA ranked 7th (41.0 per 100,000) in HIV case rates. While the rankings for both MSAs increased from 2008 to 2009, the estimated HIV case rates decreased. Again, a true national comparison will not be available until HIV diagnoses from all 50 states are analyzed. 

ATTACHMENTS:

1. CDC HIV Surveillance Report, Vol 21

2. More detailed word document that can be used to explain Louisiana's rankings.