The capital of one of the richest nations in the world is beset by an HIV epidemic that rivals those seen in some developing countries

Source: Regina McEnery, IAVI Report, Vol. 14 (6), Nov.-Dec. 2010

I quote:

The capital of one of the richest countries in the world has an HIV prevalence rate comparable to those in developing countries (Health Affairs 28, 1677, 2009). In 2007, an estimated 3% of the District of Columbia’s adult population was infected with HIV, a higher HIV prevalence rate than Rwanda, Angola, and Ethiopia, and just slightly lower than Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Other estimates suggest the HIV prevalence in Washington, D.C. may be even higher. A George Washington University (GWU) study based on data collected from December 2006 to October 2007 for the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS)—a community-based study funded by the CDC and the District of Columbia Department of Health—estimates that the HIV prevalence rate in the district among a particular subset of heterosexuals at high risk for HIV infection is as high as 5.2% (AIDS 23, 1277, 2009). The study’s authors said this was “the first estimate of HIV and risk behaviors among urban, low income, and African Americans in the nation’s capital.” The HIV prevalence among women in this study was 6.3%, similar to the prevalence among women in Tanzania (7.0%) and Uganda (7.1%).