December 1 marks an annual global occasion that can be deeply saddening for some but also inspire change in others. On one hand, we take a moment to reflect on the lives lost and forever altered due to the retroviral epidemic known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or simply HIV, and the infection in its advanced form known as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, more infamously known as AIDS.
On the opposite end, many young people and those who’ve managed to survive the virus since it first began impacting society in the early 1980s can take this day to educate themselves on why it’s important to always use protection during sexual intercourse.
HIV/AIDS impacts Black people specifically on a substantially disproportioned rate compared to other races, and we felt it was important to pass on some information that we feel can very well save a life.
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The 10 facts we’ve decided to share here are based on statistics taken from a recent study in 2019 conducted by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Revealed for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day back in February, the information sheds a harsh light on the Black community and how closely related we are to the disease.
Here’s a brief summary below, via CDC:
“Despite overall progress in reducing HIV transmission in the United States, HIV continues to affect some groups more than others due to longstanding and ingrained barriers. Black or African American (hereafter referred to as Black) people account for a higher proportion of new HIV infections, compared to other races and ethnicities. Black people accounted for 13% of the U.S. population but 40% of people with HIV in 2019, according to CDC estimates. HIV disparities can and must end.”
Join us on this World AIDS Days by checking out 10 key facts we feel the Black community should be aware of when it comes to HIV/AIDS:
1. COVID-19 Put A Major Setback On HIV/AIDS Research
2. In 2019, Black Men Accounted For 3/4 Of New HIV Infections Among All Black Americans
3. 82% Of HIV Infection Amongst Black Males Attributed To Male-To-Male Sexual Contact
4. 91% Of New HIV Infections in Black Women Were Attributed To Heterosexual Contact
5. HIV Infection Rate Among Black Women Is The Highest Compared To Women Of All Other Races / Ethnicities
6. Of The Estimated 34,800 Americans With New HIV Infections In 2019, 14,300 Were Black/African American
7. Undetectable = Untransmittable, But "Undetectable" Does Not Mean "Cured."
8. Unequal PrEP Coverage: Only 8% Of Black/African American People Who Were Eligible For PrEP Were Prescribed It.
9. Almost Half: Of The Estimated 1,189,700 People With HIV In The U.S. In 2019, 479,300 Were Black/African American
10. Of The Estimated 34,800 People With New HIV Infections In The U.S. In 2019, 14,300 Were Black/African American
