One-third female homicides killed by lover

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ATLANTA, May 13 (UPI) -- One in three homicides of U.S. women are committed by an intimate partner, while 5 percent of male homicides are by intimate partners, officials said.

Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Violent Death Reporting System, federal health officials analyzed data on homicides and suicides from 16 states for 2007. The researchers said homicide rates were more than three times higher among males than females, with non-Hispanic blacks accounting for the majority of homicides.

The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, released Thursday, said there are about double the amount of suicides -- 9,245 -- to the 4,563 homicides reported from the 16 U.S. states in 2007.

Suicide rates were highest among people ages 45-54, a shift from men age 80 and older -- the age group that has typically had the highest rates of suicide.

Suicides among former or current military personnel -- mostly males, non-Hispanic whites and age 45 and older -- were precipitated by physical or mental health problems, intimate partner problems or a crisis in the past two weeks, the report said.