WASHINGTON (AP) - The District of Columbia HIV/AIDS Administration says the rate of infection in the nation's capital remains epidemic.
The agency said in a report Wednesday that more than 3 percent of District residents older than 12 were living with HIV or AIDS in 2009, the most recent data available.
The rate has remained stubbornly high for the third straight year.
Although there was a decline in newly diagnosed cases for the second year in a row, the report says the finding cannot be characterized as a substantial change.
Senior Deputy Health Director Gregory Pappas says every District resident needs an HIV test every year.
The District's HIV prevalence rate of 3.2 percent is the highest for any U.S. city.