Women, aboriginals, newcomers seeing rise in HIV

Women, aboriginals, newcomers seeing rise in HIV

TORONTO — A new report on HIV-AIDS rates in Toronto says women, aboriginal people and new Canadians are some of the main groups seeing a rise in infections.
Although gay men continue to make up the largest group of people living with the infection, the report says, the face of HIV has "changed dramatically" over the past decade with rates also increasing for youths and the homeless.
The report, co-authored by Casey House, a specialty HIV-AIDS hospital, also found that more people live with HIV-AIDS in Toronto now than ever before.
One in 120 adult people in that city estimated to be HIV-positive, and two Torontonians are infected every day.
The overall number of people living with HIV-AIDS in Ontario grew by 31 per cent from 2003 to 2008, the report says, and is also continuing to expand.
The group also found that as the number of people with HIV ages, their health care needs will increase, and is calling on the province to come up with a plan to meet the growing demand for flexible care.