Every group has had their share of the "expanding cases" limelight. Why not allow a bit of it for the over 50 crowd? It seems reasonable, except that it isn't.

The media reports are about an increase in that age group between 1991 and 1996. But other sources show the incidence in that population to be stable. It seems that, if they want it to expand - like magic - it expands!

A little thought about the time period of this supposed expansion will reveal the nonsense involved. The years during which this omnious increase occured also had something else significant happen: the definition of AIDS was expanded. That was in 1993. It was predicted that the number of cases would double.

Repeat: the hubbub is about the 22% increase in cases reported in 1996 in those over 50 as compared to 1991. But this is even less cases than one would have predicted given the definition expansion in the intervening years!

The image of HIV's spread is a serious chronic problem with this epidemic. The treatment involves losing the fascination with science, and none seem eager to do that, least of all those activists involved with "saving lives."