The number of Americans developing AIDS appears to be rising again for the first time in 10 years, federal health officials reported. AIDS cases increased 2.2% in 2002, the first apparent rise since 1993, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If the final analysis of the national data collected annually by the CDC confirms the increase, it could mark a turning point in the AIDS epidemic in the U.S. The epidemic had appeared to be stabilizing because of years of intensive safe-sex campaigns and the introduction of powerful anti-viral drugs that help prevent HIV-infected people from developing AIDS. The cause of the apparent increase was unclear. Experts speculated that it could be a combination of factors, including a rise in HIV infections among young gay men in recent years, an increase in people who are failing to respond to the new treatments, and state budget problems, which could be limiting access to care for HIV-positive people who are poor.
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