With approximately 40 million people worldwide living with HIV, and more than 20 million people having died of AIDS since 1981, December 1st serves to remind everyone that action makes a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

• An estimated 886,575 AIDS cases have been diagnosed in
  the U.S. since the beginning of the epidemic through 2002.


• Of these cases:
  81% were among men, 18% were among women
  1% were among children less than 13 yrs old.


• The 10 states or territories reporting the highest number of total AIDS diagnoses among their residents are: New York, California, Florida, Texas. New Jersey, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Georgia, and Maryland.


• 10% -15% of all new AIDS cases in the U.S. occur in people over the age of 50.