Skip to a WHINN summary of Nevada State Health Division's AIDS Surveillance Report.

Brief History of HIV/AIDS in Nevada
By Arthur Pines

The first recorded case of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in Nevada was identified May 1982.  When AIDS first appeared, the contraction and spread of the disease was largely a mystery thought only to affect gay men and injecting drug users (for more general history, click here).  The state of Nevada had no infrastructure to combat this growing, world-wide epidemic.  The fall-out was that local community organizations and churches in more populated areas like Reno and Las Vegas found themselves in the position of providing support, services, and patient care for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS across the large geographic regions of the state.

As of July 1999, AIDS and HIV (human immunodeficiancy virus -- the virus that causes AIDS), have no cures.  However, AIDS, which once was considered terminal and untreatable, is currently treated as a chronic disease.  Thanks to greater amounts of research and knowledge, better care and treatments, more education and outreach, and greater support for those with HIV/AIDS, people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS have many opportunities to lead long and high quality lives.  In addition, Nevada has reported a steady decline in the number of new AIDS cases and known AIDS deaths in the state since 1995, according to Nevada State Health Division's Surveillance Reports.  The past few years have also seen a decrease in HIV reported cases.

The AIDS infrastructure that Nevada now provides for its citizens can largely be attributed to Ryan White, an Indiana teenager who helped educate the nation about the disease before dieing of AIDS in 1990.  Because the story of Ryan touched a national heartstring, the federal government became involved with AIDS policy, instituting into law the Ryan White Title Act, which appropriated monies to fight AIDS across the United States.  Ryan White Funding and matching state dollars are appropriated through the Nevada State Health Division and funneled to regional agencies across the state.  For Northern Nevada counties, Northern Nevada H.O.P.E.S. (HIV Outpatient Program, Education and Services) is the grantee for Ryan White, Title III,  funded-programs.  In Clark and Nye counties, the Wellness Center is the Title III grantee. 

If you have general questions about AIDS or HIV and want quick answers from the Center of Disease Control, please click here.  If you live in the Northern Nevada and would like to know what social or care services are available to you, click here.  For other information, go to the links page for an annotated list of other HIV/AIDS sites on the Internet.  The rest of this page is devoted to general statistics on HIV/AIDS in Nevada.  

The following statistics have been summarized from the Nevada State Health Division's AIDS Surveillance Report (updated through July 31, 1999):

AIDS           HIV

 AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) Statistics

• The first Nevada AIDS case was diagnosed in May 1982, and the total number of reported AIDS cases is 4,007 (through July 31, 1999).
• From 1995 through 1998, the number of new AIDS cases and known AIDS deaths have dropped in Nevada.  While 498 new cases were reported in 1995, 257 new cases were reported in 1998.  The number of known deaths caused from AIDS has decreased steadily from 166 in 1995 to 44 in 1998.
• Of the total 4,007 AIDS cases reported to date in Nevada, 88% are male, and 12% are female.  
• When broken down by race and ethnicity, whites have made up 67% of all of AIDS cases, followed by blacks (19%), Hispanics (12%),  Asians/ Pacific Islanders (1%), and American Indians (1%).  
• Geographically, Clark County has the most recorded AIDS cases with 3,134 to date, followed by Washoe County with 634 cases and Carson with 130.  All other Nevada counties have combined 109 cases.
• For those over the age of 12, the highest risk group for HIV exposure leading to AIDS in Nevada  has been homosexual or bisexual men (62%), followed by IDUs (injecting drug users, 18%), homosexual/bisexual IDUs (9%), heterosexual contact (9%), other (3%), and transfusions with blood/products (1%).  3,871 cases were reported.
• Since 1982, the total number of  persons under 13 years of age infected with HIV resulting in AIDS is 26.  Of which, 24 cases are traced to parents (at risk or having HIV/AIDS), and 2 are linked to transfusions with blood/products.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) Statistics

• The number of new HIV cases in 1998 was 283 cases, down from 1997 with 346 cases and 1996 with 369 cases.  The number of known deaths associated with HIV were 13 for 1998 and 8 for 1997, down from 19 in 1996.
• Of the total number of 2,946 HIV infections reported to date, 83% are male, and 17% are female.
• For HIV infections by ethnicity, 64% are whites, and 22% are blacks, followed by  Hispanics (12%), and Asians/ Pacific Islanders (1%), and American Indians (1%).
• Since 1982, Clark County has the highest number of reported HIV infections of all Nevada counties with 2,007.  Washoe County is second with 790 HIV cases, and Carson is third with 74.  All other state counties have combined for 65 cases.
• For those over the age of 12, the highest risk group for HIV exposure in Nevada  has been homosexual or bisexual men (54%), followed by IDUs (injecting drug users, 13%), heterosexual contact (10%), homosexual/bisexual IDUs (8%), and transfusions with blood/products (1%).  Of the total number of HIV cases, 14% did not fall into any of the above categories.
• Through July 1999, the total number of  persons under 13 years of age infected with HIV is 29, and 28 of those are linked to parents (at risk or having HIV/AIDS).