Petrelis Files

S.F. DPH: 60% Drop in AIDS Cases for 2005

You should know the drill by now. A new AIDS surveillance report for San Francisco is published, showing continuing dramatic falling rates and the usual suspects are silent, almost embarrassed by the diminishing epidemic that once ravaged the city.

In 2004, there were 413 cases and during 2005, the city recorded 250 diagnoses. But why say something about a 60% decline in full-blown AIDS diagnoses when so much funding depends on increases?

The list of who's suddenly been struck mute includes the local health department and the dozens of AIDS organizations receiving government dollars, all of the mainstream and gay press, and federal officials at the CDC. Not one institution has seized upon the latest AIDS surveillance report, I suspect, because the numbers are falling. Be assured though, if the stats were climbing even minimally, loud alarms would sound throughout the land.

(Can't tell those fags any good news about AIDS and how sexual safety may be reducing full-blown cases, right? There isn't much money in that approach, is there, now?)

If you've read this far, then I ask that you click here to read the actual document, paying keen attention to the "bell curve" chart on page 2, which illustrates the literal shape of AIDS cases, deaths and persons living with the disease. Like they say, an image is worth a thousand sets of data, a point driven home by San Francisco AIDS "bell curve" chart.

On to the actual stats:

Quarterly AIDS Surveillance Report
AIDS Cases Reported Through December 2005
Table 9, Page 8

Year
AIDS Cases/AIDS Deaths

1980
3/0

1981
26/8

1982
99/32

1983
274/111

1984
557/272

1985
859/531

1986
1236/807

1987
1629/876

1988
1762/1036

1989
2161/1273

1990
2048/1362

1991
2280/1495

1992
2327/1633

1993
2074/1584

1994
1784/1584

1995
1560/1475

1996
1079/981

1997
807/413

1998
691/396

1999
578/352

2000
548/340

2001
499/319

2002
481/318

2003
506/298

2004
413/220

2005
250/201