CDC: U.S. AIDS deaths, AIDS cases, syphilis cases down (6229)

A report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that AIDS-related deaths, new AIDS cases, and new syphilis infections are down across the United States, the Los Angeles Times reports. The report, titled "Health, United States, 2002," shows that the national syphilis rate in 2000 dropped to 2.2 cases per 100,000 people, marking the lowest rate since reporting began in 1941. Slightly more than 40,000 new AIDS cases were reported in 2000, down from previous years' figures. New AIDS diagnoses were also down, having dropped 11% among males aged 13 and older and down 4% among women aged 13 and older from 1999 levels. AIDS-related deaths in the country have declined each year since 1995, according to the report. Death due to AIDS-related causes dropped from being the top killer of adults aged 25 to 44 in the mid 1990s to the fifth leading killer in 1999. The full report can be found online at www.cdc.gov.