The new incidence estimate shows that 72 of every 100,000 New Yorkers were newly infected in 2006, compared to 23 per 100,000 nationally. Nearly 4,800 New Yorkers contracted HIV in 2006 -- three times the national rate, the report said.
The latest estimate was based on a new formula, developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that more reliably pinpoints newer infections. New and better blood tests helped to make it possible for people to pinpoint when people became infected with HIV, not just when they were diagnosed.
Blacks, which make up 13 percent of the population nationally, are disproportionately affected by AIDS, accounting for more than 49 percent of cases, according to the CDC.
Men made up more than three-quarters of new infections in New York City, as they did nationally. The incidence rate among New York City men was 117 per 100,000, while the rate in women was 33 per 100,000. Nationally, the incidence rates were lower: approximately 34 per 100,000 men and 12 per 100,000 women, the report said.
The high infection rates in the city were attributed to the city's large populations of gay men, blacks, and other populations that are hit hard by the virus.
