U.S. News

Alabama: Officials Link Rise in Jefferson County HIV Cases to Growing Social Networking Trend

May 22, 2012

Health officials are seeing a rise in HIV cases in Jefferson County linked to risky sex and the many online and mobile phone applications that facilitate it. The county's HIV/AIDS population grew by 16 percent from Dec. 31, 2007, and March 31 this year to 5,122 individuals, state Department of Public Health data show.

"At least 90 percent of the cases we interview, when we ask who were their contacts ... they say, 'Well, I went on the Internet,' 'I went to a chat room' or 'I had an app that was on my phone,'" said Lee Eakins, county disease investigation supervisor. The health department has responded by creating a social networking database targeting apps linked to risky sex.

View Full Article

North Carolina: HIV, Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases on Rise in Cumberland County

Baton Rouge, La., Area's AIDS Rate Tops in Nation

More HIV Statistics on Southern U.S. States

Reader Comments:

Add Your Comment

Comment by: Timothy (ExPat in DC) Wed., May. 23, 2012 at 7:34 am EDT
Or, here's a crazy idea: Maybe we should teach comprehensive sex education so teens will know how to protect themselves? Proper condom use would have prevented this. Such a simple solution! We tech kids how to handle a loaded rifle so they know the dangers, but not their loaded gun.

Reply to this comment

Add Your Comment:

(Please note: Your name and comment will be public, and may even show up in
Internet search results. Be careful when providing personal information! Before
adding your comment, please read TheBody.com's Comment Policy.)

More HIV Statistics on Southern U.S. States

What Will HIV Treatment Look Like in 5 Years?

2014 HIV/Hepatitis C Coinfection Update

What Major HIV Research Developments Does 2014 Hold in Store?

5 Years After My HIV Diagnosis

Marijuana May Have Potential as an HIV Treatment

More >>

TheBody.com App

My Health Tracker

Medication and Health Reminders

Assess Your Risk for HIV

U.S. ASO Finder

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.