n can live up to ten years without developing any of the clinical illnesses that define and a diagnosis of AIDS. It is estimated that in 1995, worldwide, 18.4 million people were living with HIV or AIDS.TOTAL REPORTED AIDS CASES- The cumulative number of reported AIDS cases from the beginning of the epidemic in 1981 through June 1996, is 548,102.- 148,705 cases were reported in the United State in the past year.- 343,000 deaths from reported AIDS cases have occurred since the beginning of the epidemic.REPORTED AIDS CASES BY RACE/ETHNICITY- In the United States, the cumulative total number of reported AIDS cases among the following population is:White, not Hispanic (46.80% of total case count)256,461African-American (34.50% of total case count)189,004Hispanic/Latino (17.1% of total case count)96,613Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7% of total case count)3826American Indian/Alaskan Native (0.3% of total case count)1439REPORTED AIDS CASES BY GENDER- The cumulative number of cases among women is 78,654, or 14.4% of total case count.- The cumulative number of cases among men is 462,152, or84.3%oftotalcasecount.REPORTED AIDS CASES BY AGE- The percentage of the cumulative total number of reported AIDS cases among the following age group is:Pediatric1.4%Adolescent and Young Adults0.5%Adults98.2%CLINICAL PROGRESSION OF AIDSProgression from the point of HIV to AIDS may take six to ten or more years. The progression is monitored by using surrogate markers and clinical endpoints. Surrogate markers for various stages of HIV include the declining number of CD4 T-cells. In 1996, it became evident that the actual amount of HIV in a persons blood - called the viral burden - could be used to predict the progression to AIDS, regardless of the persons CD4 T-cell count. Also, a persons immune response to the virus - that is, the persons ability to produce antibodies against HIV is also used to determine the progression of AIDS. Within 1 to 3...
