Human immunodeficiency virus, otherwise known as HIV, is defined as a latent virus that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections. Although HIV and AIDS can and do affect all sectors of American society, the impact has been more serious among some groups than others. In the early years of the epidemic, the most commonly identified vulnerable groups in America were men who have sex with men, injecting drug users, and hemophiliacs.
Today, AIDS continues to directly affect thousands of gay and bisexual men and injecting drug users every year, but it has also become a serious problem among heterosexual African Americans and, more recently, among the Hispanic/Latino population. HIV is spread by sexual contact with an infected person, by sharing needles and/or syringes with someone who is infected, or less commonly through transfusions of infected blood or blood clotting factors.
Casual contact through closed-mouth or social kissing is not a risk for transmission of HIV. Babies born to HIV-infected women may become infected before or during birth, or through breast-feeding after birth. Some people fear that HIV might be transmitted in other ways; however, no scientific evidence to support any of these fears has been found.
One of the reasons that HIV is so dangerous is that a person can have the virus for a long time without knowing it. That person can then spread the virus to others through high-risk behavior. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a health crisis for African Americans at all stages, from infection with HIV to death with AIDS. Blacks including African Americans are disproportionately affected compared with members of other races and ethnicities.
In 2005, African Americans accounted for 18,121 of the estimated 37,331 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the United States in the 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting. Of the estimated 18,849 people under the age of 25 whose diagnosis of HIV/AIDS was made during 2001-2004 in the 33 states with HIV reporting, 11,554 were black. In 2005, the rate of AIDS diagnoses for black adults and adolescents was 10 times the rate for whites and nearly three times the rate for Hispanics. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black women was nearly 23 times the rate for white women. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black men was eight times the rate for white men. HIV transmission can be prevented by: abstaining from sex, always using latex condoms for all types of sexual intercourse, avoiding contact with the bodily fluids through which HIV is transmitted and never sharing needles.
When people speak of “safe sex” today, they are referring to abstinence. Abstaining from sex and sexual play is the only sure method to avoid catching an STD and to prevent an unplanned pregnancy.
Although it may not prevent a pregnancy, having sex within a committed, monogamous, long-term relationship with someone who has tested free of any STDs is also generally considered to be safe sex. So why isn’t using condoms along with other forms of birth control known as “safe sex” anymore but as “safer sex” instead? Because contraceptives can fail, resulting in pregnancy and condoms cannot provide protection against all forms of STDs. However, condoms are still the only and best protection we have against most STDs. Therefore, it is important to use them every time you have sex. When you are considering becoming sexually active with someone, talk to them about their sexual history. Remember, when you have sex with someone, you are having sex with every person they have ever had sex with. It is a good idea for both of you to get tested for STDs so that you can be sure you are both free of any infections. However, some STDs can take as long as six months before they begin to affect you. If your partner has had sex with someone else in the last six months, it is a good idea to either put off having sex or use condoms until he/she can be retested.
If your partner refuses to get tested or has no desire to talk about their sexual history, you may want to reconsider your choice to have intercourse. Never feel guilty for asking about his/her sexual past. Your health is on the line and you both have a right to know what you’re getting into. Never allow yourself to be pressured, coerced or bullied into a sexual relationship. Do not hesitate to say no. If your partner forces you to have sex after you’ve said no, that is rape and should be reported to the authorities.