The rate of HIV/AIDS infection in Washington DC

The US Capital, Washington DC, is fighting an epidemic of HIV/AIDS that’s affecting 3% of the city’s population. (29) The rate of infection is the highest in the US and higher than a number of African nations. Washington’s HIV/AIDS problem is getting worse, not better. There’s been a 20% increase in cases in the past two years. The city’s department of health says that 3% of its residents over the age of twelve are now living with HIV/AIDS. In Washington the majority of those infected are African American. Men aged between 40 and 50 have been the hardest hit. The city is discussing ways of tackling the problem with an emphasis on more testing. (30) But Washington’s Mayor says that so far the message appears to be going in one ear and out the other.