African Americans and HIV/AIDS
In advance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness & Information Day on February 7, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation has released an updated fact sheet (2 pages, PDF) on African Americans and HIV/AIDS. African Americans account for more AIDS diagnoses, HIV-related deaths, and people living with AIDS than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. According to Kaiser data, the share of AIDS diagnoses among African Americans rose from 25 percent of cases diagnosed in 1985 to 49 percent in 2003; African-American women accounted for 67 percent of new AIDS cases among women in 2003, compared to 15 percent for white women and 16 percent for Latinas; and African-American teenagers accounted for 65 percent of new AIDS cases reported among teens in 2002. As the fact sheet suggests, these trends present tremendous challenges to all involved in addressing the nation's HIV/AIDS epidemic.
