Some people continue to believe that they can determine an individual’s HIV status based on outward appearance. HIV status is not determined by the label inside a guy’s shirt or a lady’s dress, but it predicated on exposure to the virus. In the United States, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is a health crisis for African Americans. In 2002, HIV/AIDS was among the top three causes of death for African American men aged 25-54 years and among the top four causes of death for African American women aged 25-54 years. It was the number one cause of death for African American women aged 25-34 years.In 2004, the primary mode of HIV transmission among African American men was sexual contact with other men, followed by heterosexual contact and injection drug use. The primary mode of HIV transmission among African American women was heterosexual contact, followed by injection drug use. African Americans accounted for 20,965 (49%) of the 42,514 estimated AIDS cases diagnosed in the United States (including US dependencies, possessions, and associated nations).
The rate of AIDS diagnoses for African American adults and adolescents was 10 times the rate for whites and almost three times the rate for Hispanics. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for African American women was 23 times the rate for white women. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for African American men was eight times the rate for white men. The 178,233 African Americans living with AIDS in the United States accounted for 43% of all people in the United States living with AIDS.
African American women, a term that includes adults and adolescents, are especially hard hit by HIV/AIDS. During 2001-2004, African American women accounted for 68% of HIV/AIDS diagnoses for women in the 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting. More than three-fourths of the
HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed for African American women during 2001-2004 were caused by heterosexual contact. Injection drug use accounted for almost one fifth of the cases.
HIV/AIDS is a disease that continues to take its toll on the African American community and denial is no longer a viable option. Getting tested and knowing your status and that of your partner could be a life and death decision.
For more information contact www.cdc.gov and for information on testing and counseling please contact the Owens-Franklin Health Center at extension 2511 or the City of Houston Department of Health and Human Services at (713) 794-9640.