Summary
Although a person's sexual and drug-using behaviors put him or her at risk for acquiring HIV, there are other factors that make many African Americans more vulnerable to HIV. Poverty and inadequate access to health care play a significant role. So do high rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), some of which can make a person more vulnerable to HIV infection and can increase his or her chances of transmitting HIV to others.
Silence about HIV can also contribute to the disproportionate impact of this disease. Surveys have shown that more than four in ten African Americans have never discussed HIV with their sexual partners. Not talking about HIV can discourage people from recognizing risk or getting tested. Denial and discrimination in regard to HIV must be addressed in the African American community if we are to prevent new infections.African American communities are certainly not alone in the fight against HIV. In my work at CDC, I help direct the U.S. government's efforts to support prevention programs in communities across the country. On the south side of Chicago, for example, CDC is working with Roseland Christian Health Ministries to help African Americans get counseled and tested for HIV and to help those with HIV take steps to protect others from infection. And in Baltimore, we're helping to support the Sisters Informing Sisters about Topics on AIDS (SISTA) project, which enables African American women at high risk for HIV to gain much needed support from their peers to help reduce risky behaviors.See the full content of this document
Extract
For African Americans, Stopping Aids Starts with Us
You don't have to be HIV-positive or know someone with AIDS to recognize the devastating impact that HIV is having on African Americans across the United States. More African Americans are living with and dying from AIDS than any other populat...
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