More people were diagnosed with HIV in Iowa last year than any other year since the state began reporting HIV/AIDS figures a decade ago, the Des Moines Register reports (desmoinesregister.com, 4/23).
According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, there were 127 new cases of HIV in the state last year, up from 113 in 2006 and 117 in 2005.
Iowa health officials say delays in testing may contribute to the rise in new infections. Randy Mayer, head of the health department’s HIV/AIDS/Hepatitis program said that many people mistake early signs of HIV, like rash, fever and swollen glands, for the flu.
According to Mayer, HIV diagnoses among Iowa men age 45 and older have more than doubled since 2003.
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Beth Benne, RN, is HIV negative, but
the virus has impacted her life. She currently supervises a biannual HIV/AIDS awareness week as
the director of the student health center at Pierce College, a
community commuter school in Woodland Hills, California.
Woman of the Month is supported by exclusive advertising from Gilead.
Overheard in the Women's Forum
"I think that it's OK to be angry. I am sometimes—it's natural—we are HIV positive. but I always try to not let myself stay there too long. Let yourself feel you are human. You should not beat yourself up about being angry."
