African Americans account for more than one-third
(38%) of the 816,149 AIDS cases since the beginning
of the epidemic. In 2001 alone, African Americans
accounted for about half (49%) of the 43,158 cases
reported. 1
-
African Americans account for more than half (54%)
of the 40,000 new HIV infections estimated to occur
in the US each year. 2
HIV is the leading cause of death for African Americans ages 25-44. 3
-
The AIDS rate for African American women in
2001 was almost 20 times that of white women. 2
-
Although African American men still account for
most new AIDS cases and HIV infections among African
Americans, African American women account for a
growing share. African American women accounted
for nearly 64 percent of HIV cases reported among
women in 2001. 4
-
The leading cause of HIV infection among African Americans is heterosexual
contact, followed by injection use. 4
-
Today, the greatest risk factor for African American
women lies in unprotected sexual intercourse with
their male partners. Many are unaware that a partner
engages in high-risk behavior, such as male-to-male
sex or injection drug use. 5
References:
- CDC, HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, Vol.13,
No2.
- CDC, HIV/AIDS Update: A Glance at the Epidemic,
February 2002.
- CDC, NCHS, National Vital Statistics Report,
Leading Causes of Death for 2000, Vol. 50, No.16,
September 2002.
- Kaiser Family Foundation, Key Facts: African
Americans and HIV/AIDS, September 2003.
- The Body. Policy Facts: Communities of Color and HIV/AIDS, January 2002.
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