This means they have always been on an earlier, steeper part of the upward incline. Even though their actual numbers were low, their rate of increase was high relative to other groups. Their rate of increase was slowing, but less rapidly than that of homosexuals and men in general. Another factor in the growth of female cases in the last two years is that the new definition especially targets illnesses seen in women, including cervical cancer. Not too many male homosexuals get cancer of the cervix.
Drugs are only part of the reason for the declining epidemic.
Now, however, cases in all the categories are way down. So while female ones fell from more than 17,000 in 1993 to less than 15,000 last year, male cases fell even faster. While cases defined as heterosexual fell from almost 10 thousand in 1993 to 8,300 last year, homosexual ones fell faster. Thus female and heterosexual cases make up a larger slice of the pie, but the pie is so much smaller. These reports were released at the same time and place as the one on deaths, but naturally got much less media attention.