The Washington Post (12/6, B5, Kumar) reported that about "19,000 people in Virginia are known to be living with HIV or AIDS, and an additional 6,000 might not know they are infected, according to new state studies." Despite the fact that "18,587 have reported having HIV or AIDS in Virginia, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 25 percent more have not been tested, and do not know they are infected." Data indicate that for every 100,000 male Virginians, 351 have HIV or AIDS. For every 100,000 females, 125 have either disease. But, the infection rate is diminishing. Statistics from the Virginia Department of Health indicate that "[n]ewly diagnosed cases of HIV" declined "from almost 1,600 in 1997, to just less than 1,200 in 2006 in the state."