TORONTO – A new report on HIV/AIDS in Ontario is bringing to light some troubling statistics for Torontonians.
Two Torontonians are newly infected with HIV/AIDS everyday and 1 in 120 Torontonians are living with the disease.
Casey House, a hospital specializing in HIV/AIDS, released the report to coincide with the beginning of World AIDS Week and to outline new and significant challenges for Ontario’s Health Care system in dealing with HIV/AIDS.
The report, The White Paper, outlines some troubling statistics – specifically for young people – living in Toronto. According to the report, in 2009, young people under the age of 30 accounted for more than 25% of new infections in Toronto. The report suggests that being infected at a younger age leads to more health problems. “The implications of high infection rates amongst young people are profound: many decades of viral infection and associated medications mean possible long-term effects on an individual’s heart, liver, kidneys and bones, along with higher risk for other adverse reactions to treatment”
Despite the growing number of people infected with HIV/AIDS in Toronto, treatment is becoming much more effective. According to Dr. Kevin Gough, co-author of the report and Director of Infectious Diseases at St. Michael’s Hospital, “Today, if people have access to treatment, HIV/AIDS can be more like a chronic disease that waxes and wanes in severity throughout their lives. That’s terrific news.”
View the report below:
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