HIV rate
relatively unchanged in West Virginia

In West Virginia, 65 new HIV cases were reported in the first six months of 2005, compared with 139 cases for all of last year, said Loretta Haddy, the state's epidemiologist. Ten of the 27 West Virginians diagnosed with HIV so far this year are ages 20 to 29. According to the state's HIV and sexually transmitted disease program's Web site, the number of new cases peaked in 2003 at 158.

West Virginia University, which treats HIV patients in Morgantown and Wheeling, saw 30 new cases during the first six months of this year, compared with 41 new cases in all of 2004--though those figures may not reflect the number of cases already reported to the state and likely include people from neighboring states.

"Clearly, something needs to be done beyond education," said Arif Sarwari, an infectious disease specialist and director of WVU's Positive Health Clinic. "We're now dealing with a generation that hasn't seen people die of HIV and AIDS the way people did in the last two decades," said Sarwari. "The impact of the message decreases when you don't have a direct exposure to the effects of HIV."

Haddy called for strong education about risky behaviors like unprotected sex, indiscriminate sex, and injection drug use. (AP)