Core 116

A Look at the Data

Although the low number of AIDS cases in Weston seemed to bode well for the rest of the county, once I began to look at the rate of infection in the larger cities the tremendous impact AIDS has had on those communities became evident.

Despite all my preconceived ideas that AIDS was only a threat to foreign countries or big cities, it soon became obvious that various cities in Fairfield County had a serious problem with AIDS.

Bridgeport, for example, had a rate of infection nearly three times the national average, due, in all likelihood, to its large population of impoverished peoples (Table 1).

Sadly, Bridgeport is not the only city in Fairfield County with a high rate of AIDS cases. Both Norwalk and Stamford had rates nearly twice the national average (Table 1).

So while the rates for both Fairfield County and Connecticut were only slightly higher than the national rate, suggesting a disease that is relatively under control, it would be incorrect to state that Fairfield County does not have an AIDS problem.

Table 1

Towns	AIDS Cases	Total Population	Rate per 100,000
Bethel	20	18,067	111
*Bridgeport*	*1,490*	*139,529*	*1068*
Brookfield	14	15,664	89
Danbury	297	74,848	397
Darien	22	19,607	112
Easton	5	7,272	69
Fairfield	77	57,340	134
Greenwich	100	61,101	164
Monroe	14	19,247	73
New Canaan	13	19,395	67
New Fairfield	13	13,953	93
Newtown	32	25,031	128
*Norwalk*	*495*	*82,951*	*598*
Redding	14	8,270	169
Ridgefield	17	23,643	72
Shelton	31	38,101	81
Sherman	12	3,827	314
*Stamford*	*770*	*117,083*	*658*
Stratford	103	49,976	206
Trumbull	19	34,243	55
Weston	11	10,037	110
Westport	50	25,749	194
Wilton	10	17,633	58
Fairfield County	3,624	882,567	411
Connecticut	14,399	3,405,565	423
United States	956,019	281,421,906	339

Table 3

Region	Rate in White Population	Rate in Black Population	Rate in Hispanic Population
Fairfield County	197	1620	763
Connecticut	198	1750	1215
United States	193	1117	481

Table 4

Region	% MSM		% IDU		% Hetero
Gender	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
Fairfield County	23.7	----------	42.1		18.5
Connecticut	31.1	----------	48.7	51.6	9.5	41.5
United States	54	----------	21	36	6	44

In Connecticut, interestingly, AIDS is not a gay man’s disease but rather a disease of intravenous drug users, African Americans, and Hispanics (Tables 3 and 4). For example, in the United States the percentage of infected persons who contracted the virus through intravenous drug use is 21% for males and 36% for females (Table 4). In Connecticut, however, it is 42% (Table 4).

Although these statistics differ from the national data, they do not surprise me for a variety of reasons. Firstly, I feel that any gay population that Fairfield County could have maintained would most likely relocate 45 minutes south to New York City. Although my community boasts its liberal voting record, it is not a haven for people of varying lifestyles. Therefore the smaller percentage of AIDS victims who have contracted the disease through homosexual intercourse makes perfect sense (Table 4).

Secondly, Connecticut is known to me as a place for hard drugs (either because of its proximity to a major city or because the state is known for having the money to spend on drugs). In fact, at my high school alone, I knew many people who were addicted to cocaine and heroin. It makes sense to me, therefore, that the largest percentage of Connecticut AIDS victims would be intravenous drug users (Table 4).