The latest estimations released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are quite alarming for the “Big Apple.” The rate of HIV infection is three times bigger that the nation’s rate. 4,762 New York residents, 72 of every 100,000, were infected with the deadly virus in 2006, while the United States’ rate is of 23 from 100,000.

The individuals who face the highest risk of infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus are blacks and men who have sexual intercourse with other men. So one thing’s for sure: men are highly exposed to HIV infection compared to women. About 76% of the new HIV infections were among men, while only 25% were among women.

When it comes to race, the blacks lead in HIV infections and make for 46% of the newly infected. The Hispanics are second with 32% while whites make for 21% of the newly infected. People aged 30 to 49 are predisposed to HIV infection and made for 58% of the newly infected.

"The populations that bear the greatest burden nationally - blacks, for example, and men who have sex with men - are highly represented in New York City," Health Commissioner Thomas Freidan said according to CNN.

Manhattan had the highest number of infected residents during the period which the study focused on. 35% of HIV positive New Yorkers were from Manhattan, while 26% were from Brooklyn and 19% from the Bronx.

The study also showed that 36% of the gay and bisexual men who had sex with five or more partners in 2006– “a core group at high risk for getting and spreading HIV" as Friedman put it - did not use protection on a regular basis.

New York City’s higher HIV infection rate is also caused by the fact that compared to the rest of the U.S. it has larger groups of blacks and other high-risk groups.

Those involved in the study reached the findings by using a new formula provided by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, due to the fact that the formula was changed, researchers couldn’t tell whether the number of HIV positive people has grown or decreased from one year to the other.

Officials use laboratory specific technology in order to find out whether people contracted HIV in the past five months. Using a statistical model, officials can calculate the population's infection rate.