CBS12 News Team

Number of HIV, AIDS cases growing on the Treasure Coast

FT. PIERCE, Fla. -- New medical data released unveils an alarming trend, HIV for so many years was on the decline. But is now back and growing in the suburbs. Testing positive in age groups and races you wouldn't expect.

5,187 people are HIV positive or have AIDS in St. Lucie County. According to the Health Department, Fort Pierce is the epicenter.

Eric Martinez: HIV..is taboo. I take over 16 medications per day. The average cost of my medications per month could average $45,000.

Eric Martinez has been living with HIV since 1985. But he is alive.

Eric Martinez: The majority of the night I am hooked up to a machine and I find myself having to really plan my days carefully so I don't overextend myself.

Eric's not alone. The numbers just released by county health departments show HIV and AIDS growing on the Treasure Coast, and not where you'd expect it.

Dawn Jones: They are seeing their numbers go up. Yes. In the white population primarily what we are seeing is increases in the gay population.

1 in 33 black males in St. Lucie County test positive for HIV. The fastest growing group--straight women ages 30 to 50.

Dawn Jones: In Martin County, the Hispanic population, in Indian River the African American population.

St Lucie County HIV AIDS Program Director Dawn Jones says as testing increases..so does the number of positives.

Dawn Jones: We've increased our programs and services, and we've increased our testing and services, but there's still 1 in 5 people estimated that are totally unaware of their status.

Now Eric says he's headed to D.C. this month to keep HIV at the forefront of funding.

Eric Martinez: If you look at what the disease was during the 80s to now, you see now more complacency. And that complacency has added the increase of numbers.

More than five dozen people on the Treasure Coast plan to March on Washington this month.

HIV is no longer labeled a gay stigma disease. The new data shows 80-percent of women who test positive are straight. A large portion of them married. Same with men, 50-percent say they are heterosexual when they test positive.

Friday, July 13 2012, 07:08 PM EDT

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