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Top 5 stories for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2015
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Compared with other ethnic groups, black men and women are disproportionately affected by HIV infection. According to the CDC, black patients account for 44% of new HIV infections and 48% of deaths among those diagnosed with the virus, despite comprising roughly 12% of the U.S. population.
Recent data, however, suggest this trend may be slowing down.
“Death rates among blacks with HIV declined 28% from 2008 to 2012 and nearly half of people reached by CDC testing programs in 2013 were black,” Eugene McCray, MD, director of the CDC’s HIV/AIDS prevention division, said in a statement. “This, in addition to data last year showing that 85% of blacks with HIV are aware of their infection, are all encouraging signs of progress.”
In recognition of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Infectious Disease News has compiled a list of the top stories covering HIV in blacks from the past year.
Despite highest HIV incidence, blacks show low linkage to care
New data suggest that 74.9% of blacks with diagnosed HIV infection were linked to care in 2010, according to an MMWR report.
“Focusing on prevention and care efforts on populations that bear a disproportionate burden of HIV disease could lead to reductions in HIV incidence and health inequities and help achieve the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy,” CDC researchers wrote. Read more.
Black MSM liable to underreport knowledge of HIV status
In studies of black men who have sex with men (MSM), the exclusive use of self-reported data is likely to overestimate the true lack of awareness of HIV status in this population, according to recent study results published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.
The findings suggest that MSM may feel uncomfortable revealing their knowledge of their HIV status, the researchers wrote. Read more.
Risk scores, black race linked to missing visits with HIV providers
Black race and a higher risk for virologic failure were associated with missing visits with health care providers among people with HIV, according to data presented at IDWeek 2014. Read more.
Gender role strain may increase HIV risk among young black MSM Young gay black men who conform to masculine behaviors because of family and cultural pressures led to social isolation and distress, as well as seeking approval and acceptance through risky sexual behaviors, according to study findings published in the American Journal of Public Health.
“HIV risk is the sum total of many factors, but social and family stress is a well-known driver of all types of risk-taking behaviors, and our findings clearly support the notion this holds true when it comes to HIV risk,” Errol Lamont Fields, MD, PhD, MPH, of Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, said. Read more.
Perception of desire to conceive lowered condom use among blacks
The desire to conceive a child may be driving the low rates of condom use among young black males, despite sexually transmitted infection and HIV risks associated with unprotected sex, according to data presented at the 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine Annual Meeting.
“Condom use is the primary public health strategy to prevent these infections,” the researchers wrote. “However, condom use is antithetical to conception of a child; thus, desire to father a child or perception of partners’ desire may be a primary barrier to STI/HIV protection. While an unavoidable reality when partners mutually desire conception, a very different situation exists when desire is not mutual.” Read more.