My latest for EBONY on "The State of HIV/AIDS in Black America." There is some good news and not-so-good news to report on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The good news: The number of new infections has finally stabilized at about 50,000 new cases per year in the United States.
The bad news: The epicenter of the epidemic is Black America. African-Americans and other Black communities represent only 12% of the nation’s population but account for nearly half—some 44%—of all new HIV infections, report the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Black gay and bisexual men suffer the highest new infection rates in the country.
"African-Americans account for about half of the more than one million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States," Donna Hubbard McCree, PhD told EBONY.com. Dr. McCree is the Associate Director for Health Equity of the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. "And about half of those who die from AIDS every year."
But there is some good news on Black women. Recent data show that new infections—these are called seroconversions—among Black women are declining for the first time in over a decade.
Thanks much to the Centers for Disease Controls, the White House and the Black AIDS Institute. Read the report HERE.
Well, I hope somebody fire up a lovely memo to all these people having unprotected anal and vaginal sex with any and everyone.
It might need to be reiterated to them that doing unprotected sex is one of the main causes of the spread of this very preventable disease.
To the black gay/bisexual male fold, learn to wear and use condoms everytime, REGARDLESS!
Posted by: kayman | 10 February 2013 at 11:22