It’s been 30 years since the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was recognized as the cause of the AIDS epidemic. Since 1981, HIV/AIDS has killed 25 million people worldwide. Despite aggressive HIV prevention campaigns, African American men and women continue to become newly infected by HIV at much higher rates than other Americans.
Although globally 2.7 million people became newly infected with HIV in 2008, that is actually a decrease by 17 percent over the last eight years. Many successes in HIV treatment and prevention of mother-to-child transmission services have occurred in the last decade. Unfortunately, new HIV infections and HIV/AIDS-related deaths continue to disproportionately affect African Americans, especially women. African American women comprise 12 percent of the female population in the U.S., yet they account for 66 percent of new HIV infections. In 2004, HIV infection was the leading cause of death for African American women aged 25-34 years and the third leading cause of death for African American women aged 35-44 years. In 2005, the rate of AIDS diagnoses for African American women was 20 times the rate for white women.
The disparity in AIDS diagnosis between African American and white women is five times greater than the difference in breast cancer diagnosis between African American and white women. Yet, HIV gets very little attention when we discuss health conditions at the beauty salon. At some point, we must speak up about the shocking number of African Americans being infected with HIV.
Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) find that the primary risk factors for most HIV/AIDS diagnoses among African Americans females are high-risk heterosexual contact (80 percent) followed by injection drug use (18 percent). As with other racial and ethnic groups, the African Americans at highest risk for HIV are those who are unaware of their partner’s risk factors. The partner’s risk factors include having unprotected vaginal intercourse, having multiple sexual partners, having partners with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and having anal intercourse.
Other than abstinence, condoms are the most effective way of preventing transmission of HIV (and other STIs). Unfortunately, several studies have shown that African American women are much less likely to negotiate condom use than other women. The reasons for this include male dominance in relationships, fear of rejection, and fear of violence. African American women are also often secretive about their sexual interactions and therefore have limited opportunities to discuss sexual health and safe sex practices with each other.
It is important to acknowledge that race and ethnicity, alone, are not risk factors for HIV infection. Social and structural influences are associated with higher HIV/AIDS incidence among African Americans. Although we cannot immediately remove influences such as poverty, violence, and discrimination, we can openly discuss ways that we can protect ourselves from HIV. We must learn to acknowledge the importance of using/negotiating condom use. Don’t keep safe sex practices a secret.
To learn more about HIV prevention, visit www.cdc.gov/hiv/
