Maryland HIV/AIDS Case Trends/Demographics

Maryland HIV and AIDS Case Trends

The number of incident (new) AIDS cases diagnosed within each quarterly period increased through 1995, with an artificial rise around 1993 due to changes in the AIDS case definition.  The number of deaths among AIDS cases also increased through 1995.  Beginning in 1996 and coincident with the introduction of protease inhibitor therapy, there has been a substantial decline in both the number of new cases of AIDS and in deaths among AIDS cases.  The number of deaths among AIDS cases declined at a faster rate than the number of new AIDS cases per year, resulting in a slow increase in the number of people living with AIDS each year (prevalence). 

The number of new HIV cases reported each quarter has been slightly decreasing since surveillance began in 1994.  The number of deaths among HIV cases has remained low and stable since 1994. The number of new HIV cases each year is greater than the number of new AIDS cases and of deaths among HIV cases, resulting in a slow increase in the number of people living with HIV each year (prevalence).

Maryland HIV and AIDS Case Geography

There were a total of 32,811 living HIV and AIDS cases in the State of Maryland as of December 31, 2006, of which 18,396 (56%) were HIV cases and 14,442 (44%) were AIDS cases.  Forty-nine percent of all reported living HIV and AIDS cases in Maryland were residents of Baltimore City at time of diagnosis.  The Central Region, which includes Baltimore City and the surrounding counties, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, and Howard, reported a total of 62% of all living cases.  The two counties adjacent to Washington, D.C., Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties (with 8% and 16% of cases, respectively) make up the Suburban Region with 24% of living cases.  A large percentage of HIV and AIDS cases are diagnosed within the State Correctional system (8% of living HIV and AIDS cases).  The Eastern Region (Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties) reported 3% of all living cases.  The Western Region (Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington Counties) reported 2% of all living HIV and AIDS cases and the Southern Region (Calvert, Charles, and Saint Mary’s Counties) reported 1% of all living HIV and AIDS cases.

Maryland HIV and AIDS Case Demographics

Maryland living HIV and AIDS cases are predominantly African-American (81%), male (64%), and middle-aged (85% of cases are 30-59 years old).

Maryland HIV and AIDS Case Gender Trends

The percentage of female cases has been increasing over time. Of all AIDS cases diagnosed in 1985, 10% were female. This proportion has steadily increased to 36% of AIDS cases in 2006. Thirty-six percent of all HIV cases in 2006 were female.

Maryland HIV and AIDS Case Race/Ethnicity Trends

The percentage of African-American cases has been increased over time.  Of all AIDS cases diagnosed in 1985, 49% were African-American.  By 1996, this proportion was 83%. In 2006, the proportion of all AIDS cases that were African-American was 82%, and of HIV cases it was 75%.

Maryland HIV and AIDS Case Exposure Category Trends

Men who have sex with men (MSM) was the most common mode of HIV transmission for AIDS cases until 1990. In 1991 injection drug use (IDU) became the most commonly reported exposure among newly diagnosed AIDS cases.  Heterosexual contact represented an increasing proportion of reported exposure among all new AIDS cases, surpassing the percentage of MSMs in 1997 and reaching the percentage of IDUs by 2005. Among new HIV cases, injection drug use was the predominant mode of HIV transmission. However, over time a greater proportion of newly reported HIV cases have identified transmission risk as heterosexual contact and this has been the leading category since 2002. The proportion of cases that are MSM has also been rising, and MSM surpassed IDU by 2006.