Central Missouri sees spike in HIV diagnoses

(AP) Missouri is seeing a dramatic uptick in HIV diagnoses, a trend that health experts say is mostly concentrated in the central part of the state.

The Columbia Missourian reports state data show that new HIV diagnoses in Missouri increased by more than 10 percent between 2013 and 2016. But the increase was almost 170 percent in the 40 central counties that the state considers part of the Central HIV Care Region.

Derek Landes is director of prevention education and outreach health services at Spectrum Health Care in Columbia. Landes says the disease prevention center is focused on getting men to wear condoms.

Landes says there’s a growing trend among younger generations that HIV isn’t something they have to worry about anymore.