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African American youth accounted for more than 50% of all HIV infections among people ages 13-24?
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Knowledge gives you the power to make smart choices about protecting yourself and the people you care about.
During their lifetime, 1 in 16 Black men will be diagnosed with HIV, as will 1 in 30 Black women.
Want to know more? Want to learn what you can do? Click on these links to learn more and find out how you can take action and join the conversation.
Why are African Americans at greater risk for HIV infection?
There are a range of factors that place African Americans at greater risk for HIV, including a greater proportion of people living with HIV/AIDS in African American communities. This means African Americans face greater risk with every unprotected sexual encounter. The African American community also is greatly impacted by higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), which may increase risk of HIV infection.
Studies also show that various factors like poverty, discrimination and limited access to health care combine to make young Black men and women more vulnerable to HIV, increasing the likelihood of transmission.
- Learn more about factors that put African Americans at risk.
- There are ways you can reduce your risk of HIV infection.
Why is talking about HIV so important - and powerful?
Research has shown that stigma and misunderstandings about HIV can hinder prevention efforts among African Americans (and other racial/ethnic groups). We also know that in talking about HIV and AIDS with friends, families, and partners, we can change that by:
- Sharing the facts about how HIV is transmitted;
- Increasing efforts to prevent HIV, including consistent condom use, safer sex practices and HIV testing;
- Reducing the stigma surrounding HIV; and
- Changing the way people think about HIV and how to prevent it.
