World AIDS Day (December 1) is a good time to take a look at the harsh realities concerning African-American women and AIDS.? says infidelity expert Ruth Houston. ?Statistics from the Center for Disease Control indicate that African-American women are infected with HIV/AIDS in numbers that are grossly disproportionate to their demographics. Since World AIDS Day is about awareness and education, let?s look at some additional facts.?
Facts About Black Women and AIDS
- African-American women account for approximately 70 percent of new AIDS cases; yet they only comprise 12 to 13 percent of the U.S. population.
- One out of 160 African-American women is HIV positive, compared to one in 3,000 white women.
- AIDS has become one of the top three causes of death for African-American women aged 25-34.
- African-American women are more than a dozen times as likely to be infected with HIV than their white counterparts.
- Approximately 20 African-American women become infected with HIV in America every day.
At the 2005 National HIV Prevention Conference, CDC researchers reported that new HIV infections are rising among blacks, women, and people who get the virus through heterosexual contact.
Many health care professional believe the rise in HIV/AIDS among African-American women is directly related to Black men "on the down low"? gay or bisexual men who secretly engage in sex with other men while they?re in relationships with women. A man on the down low who has unprotected sex with other men puts his unsuspecting female partner at risk for HIV/AIDS.
Black Women Being Misinformed About AIDS and Same Sex Infidelity
