HIV prevention efforts reach a crossroads as signs point to rising infections. Meanwhile, politics is deciding prevention strategy.

Despite a five-year goal of severely cutting into the spread of HIV, new data from 25 states show that diagnoses of the disease are increasing. Adding to that are studies showing the risk incidence of some populations is high, and rising syphilis rates. AIDS activists also are expressing concern that more federal emphasis on abstinence-only education programs will further hinder prevention efforts.