AIDS CASES UP IN L.A., BUT ONLY AMONG MALES.

Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer

The number of new AIDS cases in Los Angeles County has increased for the first time since 1992, officials said Tuesday.

According to preliminary findings by the county Department of Health Services, the number of new AIDS cases grew from 1,555 in 2001 to 1,562 in 2002, a 0.5 percent bump.

``I think this is a wake-up call in a sense that we have a lot of indications there is an increase in high-risk sexual behavior,'' said Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, county public health officer. ``Although this increase is small, it may well signal an end to the yearly decline in new AIDS cases we have been seeing since 1992.''

An increase was seen only among men, whose cases increased by 1.6 percent. Cases diagnosed among women dropped by 6 percent.

``Because the increase comes at a time when we have also increased our ability to detect new HIV and AIDS cases using laboratory reporting, it is too early to know if what we are seeing is a real increase or just a one-time anomaly due to the new expanded surveillance,'' said Gordon Bunch, director of the county's HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Program.

Since 1982, AIDS surveillance, a partnership among county officials and medical service providers, has identified over 47,600 persons diagnosed with acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Meanwhile, the number of people living with AIDS in the county has doubled since 1993 and is now more than 19,000.

An estimated additional 25,000 to 35,000 people are living with the human immunodeficiency virus, but do not have an AIDS diagnosis.

``There are more people living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County today than at any time before,'' said Charles L. Henry, director of the county Office of AIDS Programs and Policy.

Troy Anderson, [phone]

troy.anderson(at)dailynews.com