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I have heard a lot of different statistics. Which ones are right?
There is a lot of variation in the stats we see in the public area; that does not mean that any or all of them are necessarily wrong, unless they are taken out of context.
There is even some variation in Health Department statistics based on the dates, whether we are looking at the date of diagnosis or date that diagnosis makes it through the reporting system.
Statistics also vary based on location and population, on whether they come from the State level or the national level, and even in some cases because they come from a private agency that may be looking at their own clientelle rather than a specific jurisdiction.
It is important to remember that anytime statistics are used in materials or presentations, you need to say where you got the statistics and be clear about whether the stats are local, state or national. It can be very confusing if you mix stats from different levels unless you are very clear about where each statistic originated.
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How many people living in Kansas City have HIV?
As of the end of 2010, there are 4,606 people living with HIV living in the Kansas City 11-county area, which includes Cass, Clay, Clinton, Jackson, Lafayette, Platte and Ray Counties in Missouri and Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas. Statistics from 2012 will be made available in mid-2013.
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Why do you count all 11 counties?
The 11 county area was determined by the Ryan White funding received from the federal government. Five more counties are included in our HIV prevention area, but only the 11 counties are looked at for statistics for the Kansas City area.
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What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. The Health Department defines AIDS as the condition when individuals with HIV either develop any other serious infection (called an opportunistic infection) that risks their lives or when their CD4 counts gets below 200. It is important to remember that with appropriate and timely treatment, people with AIDS can get better and move out of the CD4 "range" considered as having AIDS; however, when people are diagnosed with AIDS, they continue to be classified as having AIDS for the rest of their lives.
People are classified as having either HIV or AIDS, not both. However, it is possible for a person to be counted as an AIDS case in a different state than where they were counted as an HIV case, if they move between diagnoses.
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What is a CD4 count?
CD4 is the name of the test that looks at how many T-helper cells a person has. T-helper cells are part of the immune system that help fight off infections. In a healthy immune system, the CD4 count is between 500 and 1500. Again, people with a low CD4 count can, if they get the proper treatment in a timely manner, get their CD4 counts back up into a much healthier range.
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What groups are more likely to get HIV?
HIV does not target or "go after" any specific group. HIV infection is due to behavior, not ethnicity, orientation or age. Certain groups do face cultural, educational, comfort and/or economic barriers that may affect behaviors in those communities, which may increase the risk for HIV infection.
Unprotected sex and intravenous drug use, especially sharing needles, are the most common ways of spreading HIV.
Accidental infection during a medical procedure is still a possibility, though it is very rare. Proper medical techniques decrease the risk.
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If I have HIV, do I still need to worry about other STDs?
It is very important for everyone to be concerned about sexually transmitted diseases. People with HIV should be especially concerned, because people with HIV can have far more serious infections from STDs than people without HIV. Someone who has both HIV and Syphilis, for example, may find that both infections are sped through their normal processes into advanced stages of both diseases far sooner than someone with only one or the other.
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Are HIV and AIDS statistics counted like other STDs?
The major difference between HIV/AIDS statistics and most other sexually transmitted disease statistics is, once you have HIV, you have it for the rest of your life. As a result, you are only counted once, in one location (wherever you live) when you are diagnosed with HIV. The same holds true for when you are diagnosed with AIDS. With many of the STDs, for example gonnorhea, chlamydia and syphilis, you can catch the disease, be treated and cured, and catch it again; and each time you catch it, it is registered as a new case.
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If I was diagnosed with HIV or AIDS somewhere else, can I still get services in Kansas City?
The Health Department and Planning Council help those with HIV or AIDS living in the area, regardless of where they were diagnosed. In part due to Kansas City's reputation for helping people get the care they need, nearly two and a half times as many people with HIV move into the area as move out of the area.
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Where can I find more information on HIV and AIDS?
Several resources for HIV/AIDS information and national or State statistics include:
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