HIV/AIDS

South Dakota Department of Health

Office of Disease Prevention - 605-773-3737 — (1-800-592-1861 in South Dakota only)

NOTE: Since HIV is spread primarily through sexual practices or by sharing needles, prevention messages on this site may address these topics. HIV prevention materials funded by CDC must be approved by local program review panels. However, the materials may be considered controversial by some viewers.

CONTENTS: | SD HIV/AIDS statistics | US HIV/AIDS Estimates | HIV/AIDS in the US | Brief History of HIV in the US | Symptoms of HIV Infection | HIV Testing | Finding a Testing Site | Confidential information | SD Testing Sites |

How You Can Reduce Your Risk of Exposure and Infection with HIV

South Dakota HIV/AIDS Statistics through December 2011

Number of South Dakota residents reported infected with HIV — 665
Number of the above that have been diagnosed with AIDS — 366
Number estimated be living with HIV/AIDS in South Dakota — 405

US HIV/AIDS Estimates

• In 2009, the estimated number of diagnoses of HIV infection in the 40 states and 5 U.S. dependent areas with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting was 42,959. Of these, 42,011 were in the 40 states and 948 were in the 5 dependent areas. In the 40 states, diagnoses of HIV infection among adults and adolescents totaled 41,845 with 31,782 diagnoses in males and 9,973 diagnoses in females. Among children under age 13 years, there were an estimated 166 diagnoses of HIV infection in 2009.
• At the end of 2008, the estimated number of persons living with a diagnosis of HIV infection in the 40 states and 5 U.S. dependent areas with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting was 682,668. In the 40 states only, this included 660,062 adults and adolescents, and 3,022 children under age 13 years.
• In 2008, the estimated number of deaths of persons with a diagnosis of HIV infection in the 40 states and 5 U.S. dependent areas with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting was 17,374. In the 40 states only, this included 16,762 adults and adolescents, and 7 children under age 13 years at death.
• In 2009, the estimated number of persons diagnosed with AIDS in the United States and 5 U.S. dependent areas was 34,993. Of these, 34,247 were diagnosed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia and 747 were diagnosed in the dependent areas. In the 50 states and the District of Columbia, 25,587 AIDS diagnoses were among adult and adolescent males, 8647 were among adult and adolescent females, and 13 diagnoses were among children under age 13 years.
• At the end of 2006, an estimated 1,106,400 persons in the United States were living with HIV infection, with 21% undiagnosed. (return to contents)

HIV/AIDS in the US

• CDC estimates that more than one million people are living with HIV in the United States. One in five (21%) of those people living with HIV is unaware of their infection.

• In 2008, CDC estimated that approximately 56,300 people were newly infected with HIV in 2006 (the most recent year that data are available). Over half (53%) of these new infections occurred in gay and bisexual men. Black/African American men and women were also strongly affected and were estimated to have an incidence rate than was 7 times as high as the incidence rate among whites.

• Six common transmission categories are male-to-male sexual contact, injection drug use, male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use, heterosexual contact, mother-to-child (perinatal) transmission, and other (includes blood transfusions and unknown cause. (return to contents)

Brief History of HIV in the US

• HIV was first identified in the United States in 1981 after a number of gay men started getting sick with a rare type of cancer. It took several years for scientists to develop a test for the virus, to understand how HIV was transmitted between humans, and to determine what people could do to protect themselves.
• In 2008, CDC adjusted its estimate of new HIV infections because of new technology developed by the agency.  Before this time, CDC estimated there were roughly 40,000 new HIV infections each year in the United States.  New results shows there were dramatic declines in the number of new HIV infections from a peak of about 130,000 in the mid 1980s to a low of roughly 50,000 in the early 1990s.  Results also shows that new infections increased in the late 1990s, followed by a leveling off since 2000 at about 55,000 per year. In 2006, an estimated 56,300 individuals were infected with HIV.
• AIDS cases began to fall dramatically in 1996, when new drugs became available. Today, more people than ever before are living with HIV/AIDS. CDC estimates that about 1 million people in the United States are living with HIV or AIDS. About one quarter of these people do not know that they are infected: not knowing puts them and others at risk. (return to contents)

Symptoms of HIV Infection

• The only way to know whether you are infected is to be tested for HIV.
• You cannot rely on symptoms alone because many people who are infected with HIV do not have symptoms for many years.

• Someone can look and feel healthy but can still be infected.

• In fact, one quarter of the HIV-infected persons in the United States do not know that they are infected. See the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Q&A symptoms for more information.

HIV Testing

 Finding a Testing Site

South Dakota AIDS Hotline
Department of Health 1-800-592-1861 (in-state)

CDC Hotline
1-800-232-4636

Department of Health HIV Counseling and Testing Sites - free confidential information and HIV testing

You may also contact a private physician to inquire about obtaining HIV counseling and testing; usually a fee is involved. (return to contents)

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