Nebraska Reports Lowest Number of New HIV Cases in Five Years in 2002; Number of New AIDS Cases Also Falls

The number of new HIV cases in Nebraska reached a five-year low in 2002, following "an unusual spike" in new HIV cases in 2001, the Omaha World-Herald reports. There were 50 new HIV infections reported in 2002, compared with 87 during the previous year. New AIDS cases also fell from 74 to 72, and the Nebraska AIDS Project reports that the number of HIV-positive people seeking assistance dropped from 127 in 2001 to 87 last year. Although there were fewer new HIV/AIDS cases reported last year, NAP Executive Director Tim Sullivan said that "the need for support in the HIV community" has not declined. "Just because more people aren't getting [HIV/AIDS] doesn't mean that more people aren't living with it," Sullivan added (Olson, Omaha World-Herald, 2/4).