The number of people in Boulder County with HIV infections increased dramatically in 2015.
According to the Boulder County AIDS Project, the rate went up 219% - reaching the highest rate in five years.
In 2015, there were 16 newly diagnosed people with HIV in Boulder County. This raised the county incidence rate to 5.1 per 100,000 people.The state HIV rate is 6.8 per 100,000.
New infections occurred in all age groups and the data showed Hispanics in Boulder County were at a disproportionately higher risk for infection. However, no infections were linked to drug use.
“The fact that we haven’t seen new HIV infections from sharing needles is a good sign that our syringe access program is helping to prevent the spread of HIV among people who inject drugs,” Carol Helwig, Boulder County Public Health Communicable Disease Control and HIV Prevention Coordinator said in a statement. “But, the dramatic increase in infections makes it clear that we need to do more to help all members of our community understand why getting tested is so important.”
Anyone looking for more information on HIV testing can contact the Boulder County AIDS Project at 303-444-6121.
