HIV diagnoses in El Paso, Texas, are already increasing this year, the El Paso Times reports. The city’s Department of Health shows that 22 HIV cases have been reported in the first three months of 2009 compared to 64 overall cases reported in 2008. More than half of these cases were in people younger than 35.

“There seems to be a lot of risk-taking by young people that we have not seen before,” said Tony Ramos, director of the prevention and education division of Planned Parenthood Center at El Paso’s Desert Rainbow Center. “Before, people were aware of HIV and AIDS, but now they kind of know about it.”

According to the article, the only El Paso woman who tested positive was between 15 and 19 years old, while seven of the 21 men who tested positive were 24 years old or younger. Five men were 25 to 34 years old; three were between 35 and 39; and the remaining six ranged from 45 to 64.