Notably, as the percentage of AIDS cases among
IDUs in the city declined in the last few years of the
20th century, the percentage attributed to heterosexual
transmission rose from fewer than 10% of
cases during the late 1980s and early 1990s to 16% of new cases through 1999. At the same time, the
percentage of new cases among females increased
from 18% to 30% between 1990 and 1999, and
women were reported with AIDS at a younger age
than men (e.g., 20.8% vs. 12.6% in the 13–29-yearold
age group) (Hartford Community Health
Partnership, 2003). These data indicate the growing
importance of sexual transmission of HIV in
Hartford, especially among ethnic minority populations.
Co-infection with another STD—which increases
the ability of HIV to be transmitted during
sexual contact—and having multiple sexual partners
have been suggested as key factors in accounting for
higher rates of HIV among ethnic minorities in the
city (Singer, Jia, Schensul, Weeks, & Page, 1992).
This interpretation is supported by a review of
findings from PHRESH.comm.