Percentage of Persons with AIDS by HIV Exposure Category, USA, 1981-1995.

Are heterosexual's getting their act together in reducing their risk of exposure to HIV?

This graphic shows the percentage of persons with AIDS who were exposed to HIV through the following transmission categories: men who have sex with men, injecting-drug use, men who have sex with men and inject drugs, hemophilia, heterosexual contact, transfusions, perinatal, and no risk reported.

Comparing the earlier time period (1981-1987) to the most recent time period (1993-1995):

• the proportion of people with AIDS who contracted HIV through men having sex with men has decreased from 64% to 45% of AIDS cases;
• the proportion of people with AIDS who contracted HIV through using intravenous (IV) drugs has increased from 17% of cases to 27% of AIDS cases;
• the proportion of people with AIDS who contracted HIV through heterosexual contact has increased from 3% to 10% of AIDS cases.

Source: First 500,000 AIDS Cases -- United States, 1995
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
November 24, 1995, Vol. 44, No 46, pp 849-853.

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