The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the number of Americans infected by the AIDS virus each year is higher than they had previously expected, according to a Sunday report from The Associated Press. In 2006, the United States had about 56,300 new cases of HIV infections, about 40 percent more than the previous estimate.

But Erica Phillipich, a sexual health educator for Olin Health Center, said HIV has had a consistently low prevalence rate on campus, according to a survey of about 2,000 randomly selected MSU students.

Phillipich said according to results obtained this week from the survey, the percentage of MSU students that reported an HIV infection within the last year is less than 1 percent, consistent with results from previous years.

“You have to take into account that MSU students, and college students in general, are more educated and have more access to health resources and services,” such as HIV testing, she said.

The free and anonymous testing goes a long way because not knowing you have HIV is a contributing factor of why it is so readily transmitted, she added.

Officials now think annual HIV infections have been around 55,000 for the last several years.

But Matt Hulbert, prevention coordinator for the Lansing Area AIDS Network, said he noticed a significant increase in infection among the MSU students tested, even from 2007.

The Michigan Department of Community Health reported 180 AIDS cases and 214 HIV cases in Ingham County, according to a July 2008 analysis. This was an increase from the 165 AIDS cases and 195 HIV cases a year earlier.

Hulbert said MSU students may prefer to get tested at the Lansing Area AIDS Network, but it is impossible to know exactly how many students the network had confirmed with HIV.

“I definitely think it affects college communities,” he said.

This is because college students tend to use alcohol and drugs more frequently than other demographics, he added.