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A new report from the Black AIDS Institute puts more new numbers behind the disparity in new HIV infections between black gay men and other groups. Details follow.
"Back of the Line: The State of AIDS Among Black Gay Men In America" reveals that black gay men have a one in four chance of becoming HIV positive.
Writes the Institute in the announcement of its report:
HIV represents a lifelong threat for Black gay men. A young Black gay man has a roughly 1-in-4 chance of being infected by age 25. By the time he is 40 years old, the odds a Black gay men will be living with HIV is roughly 60%. One can scour the entire world and struggle to find a population more heavily affected by HIV/AIDS than Black gay in the U.S.
Black gay men's higher risk of HIV does not stem from higher levels of risk behavior. Rather, their disproportionate risk of HIV can be traced to their poor access to health services, a high prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, and early patterns of sexual behavior among young gay men.
No one has responded to this health crisis with the urgency it warrants.
The Institute goes on to say that the factors leading to these dire numbers are factors that will ensure they remain the same or worsen if nothing is done .
(H/t: Towleroad)
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