The AIDS epidemic, while evident in every area of Onondaga County, is more prevalent in certain areas than others. What measures should be taken to handle the issue? To properly assess the situation, demographic variables were examined that correlate with the AIDS rate in Onondaga County. Those relationships that correlate with AIDS rate could indicate possible solutions to the problem. This same process will be applied to the Hispanic community in an effort to determine the roots of the dilemma. In Onondaga County the Hispanic AIDS rate rivals that of the Black population which is startling.

            These studies were done using Pearson’s Coefficient as an indicator of the strength of relationships between variables. Onondaga County holds 33 zip codes, and therefore the degrees of freedom are 31. The studies were conducted under 95% confidence or p=.05. Ultimately, any coefficient with a value greater than .349 would be considered to be significant (Table 25).