Baton Rouge is second in the nation in AIDS cases per capita, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.
The results of the study show Baton Rouge has 49.5 AIDS cases per 100,000 residents.
That number is significantly higher than the average for similar-sized cities. The average is 9.1 cases per 100,000 residents.
The numbers put Baton Rouge in a tie with Miami, Fla., for second place in the ranking of U.S. AIDS cases per capita. New York City is first in the category.
Although Baton Rouge’s per capita AIDS figure is one of the highest in the nation, the 304 reported AIDS cases for 2002 is less than reported cases for other large U.S. cities.
Eugene Collins, education and prevention coordinator for the Baton Rouge AIDS Society, said although the statistics are cause for concern, it does not necessarily mean that there are more instances of the HIV infection in the city. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.
Rather, Collins said the statistics may indicate HIV cases are developing into AIDS cases.
According to the CDC, it takes approximately eight to 11 years for an HIV case to develop into AIDS, although this number can vary from person to person.
Collins said another concern was Baton Rouge’s high ranking in the total number of HIV cases.
“That’s bad when you think about the population,” Collins said.
Collins said Baton Rouge needs to take more measures to reduce the figures.
“We need to change some of the methods we take in prevention, and we need more funding,” Collins said.
Collins suggested one way to increase prevention would be conducting more advertising campaigns to educate residents about the dangers of AIDS.
Those at the University had various opinions about the numbers.
Zoltan Wilson, a fifth-year architecture student, said the numbers were “alarming.”
Wilson said he thought the high per capita number was related to the number of college students in Baton Rouge and the amount of partying done by University students.
Wilson also said he thought the statistics reflected a lack of morals rather than a lack of education.
But, Helen Regis, an University assistant professor of anthropology, said she thought schools need to offer more sex education, and condom distribution should be more widespread.
Regis also said she thought the statistics were proof that abstinence programs are failing.