HIV Infection Rate Among U.S. Blacks Doubles

[WhiteGuySaysThis]

I think we should focus more on how some black and white kids don't have 24 inch rims, TV's, and bumpin' systems in thier cars. I almost break into tears when I see a teenager walking down the road without a gold necklace the size of a dog chain around thier neck. I mean, what is the world coming to when our youth can't afford 3 cell phones?

[Gold9472]

I think we should focus more on how some black and white kids don't have 24 inch rims, TV's, and bumpin' systems in thier cars. I almost break into tears when I see a teenager walking down the road without a gold necklace the size of a dog chain around thier neck. I mean, what is the world coming to when our youth can't afford 3 cell phones?

:D

[Giggles]

Bomb 'em. Gets rid of all problems, though it is only theory. Not that death is the answer, its just the easiest fix.

Hon a little to drastic, but your right it is a solution to stop the spread.

[Giggles]

maybe if it weren't so culturally taboo to discuss safe sex and how to avoid STD's and AIDS this wouldn't be such an issue.

I noticed the article's statistics didn't take into account population locations or religious beliefs. Large groups of people in this country teach abstinence as the only form of aids prevention - and where they are absolutely correct (its the only absolutely safe way not to contract anything), I do not believe the majority of their students pay heed.

Combine the overwhelming power of shaming people into not researching other methods of safe sex with the far too prevelant concept, "if you teach them about sex, they'll have it" and you end up with uneducated, unprepared and unaware people experimenting with sex on the sly.

No one even seems to know how to tackel the issue of HIV infection through drug use ... statistics on this population can't even be accurately measured ... much less finding patients, educating and treating them.

I agree with most in this post.

[Giggles]

you'll never know unless you try it, and its the best solution I can think of. A bit extreme for anyone to enjoy the outcome, but I haven't seen sufficient evidence of successful research.

I agree about not seeing sufficient evidence of successful research.

[Giggles]

And thank you for your concern about my tube. My massive... thick, hairy tube.

LMAO

[Giggles]

I think we should focus more on how some black and white kids don't have 24 inch rims, TV's, and bumpin' systems in thier cars. I almost break into tears when I see a teenager walking down the road without a gold necklace the size of a dog chain around thier neck. I mean, what is the world coming to when our youth can't afford 3 cell phones?

Here we go again (rolls eyes and goes to do some work).

[WhiteGuySaysThis]

Here we go again (rolls eyes and goes to do some work).

....and what is that supposed to mean?

[danceyogamom]

Hon I didn't want to know that kind of information too much (blushes). Well tell me why am I always seeing these African American male/females on t.v. reproducing like bunnies and trying to find all their kids fathers. I swear I see more of them on t.v. then I do whites. I also wrote a document a while back that specifically said that the number of _____ is on the rise. Ok never mind. I have my view you have your view. I respect your view, but hon please be more safe about your tube (blush).

did you ever see the movie Kids? it was a documentary of sorts about a upper middle class area ... they were just as bad as what you describe here.

some of the biggest drug problems in the greater Chicago area are in the suburbs ... the very well to do suburbs.

these people can afford to hide the problems and send their kids to get help.

[winketb]

Contrary to popular opinion, AIDS won't be defeated through one strategy. The impact of AIDS on the world is a systemic problem AIDS exploits the inequalities and disparities in income distribution, health care, employemnt etc. It is not a coincidence that AIDS progresses faster and with more devastating consequences in poorer areas with limited health/economic safety net. As I watch what is happening in this country: the erosion of the spirit of compassion for "the least of us" eg... those less fortunate; the retrenchment of the social safety net that helps to provide the semblance of a minimum standard of living such as Medical Assistance; housing, substance abuse treatment, student loans, unfunded mandates to schools (ie... No Child Left Behind), Social Security (a quick word about Social Security: if Bush promises to leave people who are currently 55 years of age harmless, what about the hundreds of thousands of people who are permanently disabled-including people living with AIDS-as well as the poor widows and children receiving survivers benefits?) etc..., I predict that HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, will continue to spread in this country. AIDS is the greatest crisis: be it natural disaster, plague, war, whatever-THE GREATEST CRISIS to face mankind. There are 14,000 new HIV infections every day, while (only) 8,200 daily deaths. It is estimated that, by the year 2010, that there will be approximately 100 million people living with HIV/AIDS. And leading the way, other than Africa: China, India, Russia and of course, the US. When are we going to wake up and do something?

HIV infection rate among U.S. blacks doubles
Cases among whites hold steady, highlighting growing racial gap

The Associated Press
Updated: 5:27 p.m. ET Feb. 25, 2005

BOSTON - The HIV infection rate has doubled among blacks in the United States over a decade while holding steady among whites — stark evidence of a widening racial gap in the epidemic, government scientists said Friday.

Other troubling statistics indicate that almost half of all infected people in the United States who should be receiving HIV drugs are not getting them.

The findings were released in Boston at the 12th Annual Retrovirus Conference, the world’s chief scientific gathering on the disease.

'A burgeoning epidemic'
“It’s incredibly disappointing,” said Terje Anderson, director of the National Association of People With AIDS. “We just have a burgeoning epidemic in the African American community that is not being dealt with effectively.”

Researchers and AIDS prevention advocates attributed the high rate among blacks to such factors as drug addiction, poverty and poor access to health care.

The HIV rates were derived from the widely used National Health and Nutrition Examinations Surveys, which analyze a representative sample of U.S. households and contain the most complete HIV data in the country. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compared 1988-1994 data with figures from 1999-2002.

The surveys look only at young and middle-aged adults who live in households, excluding such groups as soldiers, prisoners and homeless. Thus, health officials believe the numbers probably underestimate true HIV rates in this country.

Still, they show a striking rise in the prevalence of the AIDS virus from 1 percent to 2 percent of blacks. White rates held steady at 0.2 percent. Largely because of the increase among blacks, the overall U.S. rate rose slightly from 0.3 percent to 0.4 percent.

Smaller studies had shown rising infection rates among blacks in recent years, but this study takes a longer and more complete look at changes in the general population.

“I think it’s very concerning,” said Dr. Susan Buchbinder, who leads HIV research for the city of San Francisco. “I think what we need to look at is how we can reduce those rates and get more people into treatment.”

More focus on drug addiction needed
She recommended a stronger focus on treating drug addiction.

The lead CDC researcher, Geraldine McQuillan, said she was encouraged to see the HIV rate among younger blacks holding steady at just under 1.5 percent.

“It tells me we’re making some headway,” she said.

Other national data and published reports studied by the CDC showed that 480,000 HIV-infected people ages 15 to 49 should have been getting antiviral drugs in 2003, yet only 268,000, or 56 percent, were given such medication.

Researcher Eyasu Teshale of the CDC said the gap represents “a substantial unmet health care need.”

Treatment is widely viewed as a central component in prevention. Powerful AIDS drugs that came into wide use in the mid-1990s can knock down levels of the virus in the body, reducing the chances that the patient will infect others.

Nearly 1 million people in the United States have contracted the AIDS virus since the outbreak began in the early 1980s. About 40,000 people test positive each year, and more than 18,000 die. However, U.S. infections have remained fairly level in recent years with the use of powerful HIV drugs.

© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.