On the first day of my Freshmen Seminar Class, World Health Issues: AIDS, I was asked a series of questions concerning the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in my hometown, Shaker Heights, and the surrounding the city of Cleveland. The questions included the following: how many cumulative HIV/AIDS cases there are in Shaker Heights; which neighborhood of Cleveland has the highest prevalence of cases of HIV/AIDS; what percent of HIV/AIDS cases in Cleveland are female, Caucasian, and from heterosexually transmitted.
I estimated that there are 56 cases of HIV/AIDS in Shaker Heights. In fact, there are 45 cases (7). I selected the neighborhood of Fairfax to have the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS cases in Cleveland. The correct answer is the largely gay area of Edgewater. I overestimated the prevalence of women with HIV (35% vs. 25%), underestimated both the prevalence of whites with HIV/AIDS (20% vs. 24%) and the percentage of cases acquired through heterosexual transmission (20% vs. 27%) (7). Although I was surprised to learn some of the specific statistics of the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in Cleveland, I have had several significant experiences that have influenced my knowledge and attitudes about the disease.
