Columnist used misleading statistics

I applaud Sheila Lalwani's effort to bring up-to-date knowledge on HIV to the student body in her Feb. 9 column, "AIDS on the rise ... again." Unfortunately, while she emphasized the importance of getting information to readers, she actually misinformed the readers with incorrect statistics from the study she discussed.\nLalwani said the study showed "AIDS on the rise -- 12 percent overall," while the study, which only focused on young gay men, actually found HIV prevalence to be 12 percent among 23- to 29-year old men who have sex with men -- a very different statement. She also states "for homosexual black males, one in three are at risk of contracting the virus," although the study actually found that 30 percent of gay black males in the urban centers surveyed are "currently infected." In fact, 100 percent -- not just 30 percent -- are "at risk."\nFinally, she states this is the first year the survey has been done among blacks, which means no previous numbers were available for comparison. This is completely incorrect. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has been collecting data from multiple ethnic groups and exposure categories (such as IV drug use, homosexual or heterosexual contact and blood transfusion) twice a year since roughly 1982. Anyone can view this data on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site under the Divisions of HIV/ AIDS Prevention category. \nThe CDC study Lalwani discussed is very important knowledge all young gay men should know because the data appears to show that the rate of HIV infection is increasing, after years of decline, in a new generation of young gay men, especially ethnic minorities. A journalist's responsibility to educate the public is important, but more important is working to report that information correctly.