NYC AIDS Deaths Lowest Since '84

Finally, some good news regarding HIV.

According to the latest Annual Summary of Vital Statistics, the "definitive registry of births and deaths in New York City", deaths in NYC from HIV/AIDS fell nearly 15% in 2006 . In 2005, the death toll was 1419. In 2006, 1209 New Yorkers died from AIDS complications, the lowest number since 952 died in 1984.

Researchers attribute the continuing decline to several factors, including a lower infection rate among injecting drug users - partly due to syringe exchange programs- increased health services for injecting drug users, a declining population of injecting drug users, expanded HIV testing and referral to care, and slower disease progression among people receiving antiretroviral therapy.

Nevertheless, the report said, HIV mortality is still concentrated among NYC's minority populations, with roughly 34 percent of HIV deaths occurring among black men and 21 percent among black women. Eleven percent of HIV deaths occur among white men and 3 percent among white women.

First good news on HIV in ages, isn't it?