Risks for HIV infection among persons residing in rural areas and small cities--selected sites, southern United States, 1995-1996.

The southern region of the United States accounts for the largest proportion (34%) of the 641,086 acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases reported through 1997 and for 54% of the 58,689 AIDS cases among persons residing in rural areas (CDC, unpublished data, 1998). This report describes characteristics of persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who reside in rural areas and small cities of the southern United States and indicates that, before infection, there was a low prevalence of perceived risk.