 HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. This is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV is different from most other viruses because it attacks the immune system. The immune system gives our bodies the ability to fight infections. HIV finds and destroys a type of white blood cell (T cells or CD4 cells) that the immune system must have to fight disease.
AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection. It can take years for a person infected with HIV, even without treatment, to reach this stage. Having AIDS means that the virus has weakened the immune system to the point which the body has a difficult time fighting infection. When someone has one or more specific infections, certain cancers, or a very low number of T cells, he or she is considered to have AIDS. (Source: CDC)
• As of Sept. 30, 2008, there were 877 reported persons* living with HIV/AIDS in Lucas County. Approximately 1 out of 4 persons living with HIV/AIDS is female.
• In Lucas County, approximately 45% of persons living with HIV/AIDS are African American, 48% are white, 5% are Hispanic, and 1% Asian/Pacific Islander. Lucas County is 78% white, 17% African American and 5% Hispanic.
• 15-24 year olds account for 3% of reported persons living with HIV/AIDS in Lucas County while 25-34 year olds account for 17%, 35-44 year olds account for 38%, 45-54 year olds account for 30%, and 55-64 year olds account for 10%. People 65 years of age and older account for 1% of the reported HIV positive people in Lucas County.
• Toledo-Lucas County has the fifth highest rate of persons known to be living with HIV/AIDS of any major metropolitan county in Ohio (170 per 100,000). Toledo is the fourth largest city in Ohio.
• Nationally, young people ages 13-24 now account for 16% of all HIV/AIDS cases. Youth of color and young men who have sex with men continue to be most at risk.
• In 2004 through 2006, 16% of newly diagnosed cases of HIV in Toledo-Lucas County were in young people ages 15 to 24. This figure is the same as the national rate of infection for this age group.
• Twenty-nine percent of newly diagnosed HIV infections in Lucas County are among females. This infection rate for females is somewhat higher than other metropolitan areas in Ohio: Franklin County – 20%, Montgomery County – 20%, Cuyahoga County – 21%, Hamilton County – 21%.
*All statistics are based on HIV/AIDS cases reported to the Ohio Department of Health. All data is provisional. It is estimated that up to 1/3 of all HIV positive persons do not know their status. All data reflects cases diagnosed as of Dec. 31, 2006.
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