The latest data show that blacks accounted for more than half of all new HIV diagnoses in 32 states from 2000 to 2003, while making up just 13 percent of the population in those states. In 2003, black men had the highest HIV/AIDS rate of any group n nearly seven times the rate of white men. Among black women during that same year, the rate was 18 times higher than among white women. Additionally, black women accounted for 69 percent of all diagnoses among women from 2000 to 2003.
Although behavior may be a risk factor for acquiring HIV, there are other reasons many African Americans are more vulnerable to HIV. Poverty and inadequate access to healthcare play a significant role. So do high rates of sexually transmitted diseases, some of which can make a person more vulnerable to HIV infection and can increase the chance of transmitting HIV to others.
Silence about HIV can also contribute to the disproportionate impact of this disease. Surveys have shown that more than four in ten African Americans have never discussed HIV with their sexual partners. Not talking about HIV can discourage people from recognizing risk or getting tested. Denial and discrimination in regard to HIV must be addressed in the African-American community if we are to prevent new infections.
You can exercise your power to stop HIV by taking some simple steps. First, learn more about HIV. Too many African Americans don’t know what places a person at risk for HIV infection. Learn the basics and recognize the impact that HIV is having in our communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS Hotline at (800) 342-2437 is a good place to get accurate information.
Next, get tested! If you think that you or your sexual partner are at risk of infection, get an HIV test. In addition to doctors’ offices, hundreds of community-based organizations and health departments around the country offer testing and counseling n often free of charge. Whether you are infected or not, prevention services are available that can help you reduce your risk and stay healthy. To find out where you can get tested, visit HYPERLINK “http://www.hivtest.org”www.hivtest.org or call the AIDS hotline.
Third, get involved n and start talking. Volunteer in community or church groups to help stop the spread of HIV and support those who are living with HIV/AIDS. Help erase the stigma of HIV by talking about it openly. Start by discussing the importance of HIV prevention with your family and friends.
African-American communities are certainly not alone in the fight against HIV. In my work at CDC, I help direct the U.S. government’s efforts to support prevention programs in communities across the country. On the South Side of Chicago, for example, CDC is working with Roseland Christian Health Ministries to help African Americans get counseled and tested for HIV and to help those with HIV take steps to protect others.
And, in Baltimore, we’re helping to support the Sisters Informing Sisters about Topics on AIDS project, which enables African-American women at high risk for HIV to gain much-needed support from their peers to help reduce risky behaviors.
During the years that I have worked in HIV/AIDS prevention, I’ve seen enough devastation from AIDS to know that African Americans have no time to lose. If each of us does our part to get educated, get tested and get involved, we can win the fight against AIDS. It’s a victory that can’t come soon enough.
Janet C. Cleveland is deputy director for prevention programs of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.