CDC: 'Alarming' Spike In HIV Rates For Gay, Bi Black Men

The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta released new figures on HIV incidence in the United States, and the agency found that while the annual number of infections remained essentially flat between 2006 and 2009, there was an "alarming" jump in the number of infections among young black men who had sex with other men.

“More than 30 years into the HIV epidemic, about 50,000 people in this country still become infected each year," Dr. Thomas Frieden, the CDC's director, said in a statement. "Not only do men who have sex with men continue to account for most new infections, young gay and bisexual men are the only group in which infections are increasing, and this increase is particularly concerning among young African American [men who have sex with men.]"

The reports found no statistically significant change for black men or black women overall during the four-year period, but said that black men who are gay or bisexual were the only subpopulation to have a "statistically significant" increase over that span. The number of 4,400 new cases in 2006 to 6,500 in 2009 -- a 48 percent spike.

Although blacks make up 14 percent of the population, they accounted for 44 percent of all new HIV cases in 2009.

Comments

[yoyou]

02:52 AM on 08/11/2011

"0www.PositiveFinder.com0"is a good place for someone who gets hiv!

[drnimrod]

08:05 AM on 08/08/2011

Shocker!

[pecolalid]

05:18 PM on 08/07/2011

Its not hard to see why there is such a high rate in these groups. All you have to do is look at the high incarceration rate of black males. They have unprotected sex in prison and get infected. They come out and continue having sex with men as they strut around macho posturing. Girls and women refuse to protect their health and life get sukered into having sex when those who still have sex with men and stick their diseased penis in them. Women are the only ones who can save themselves by insisting on safe sex or no sex. Babies are being born infected not long to live or live sick lives until they die. If blacks aren't careful they are going to wipe out the race with AID's like a black plague.

[jnw147]

02:03 PM on 08/07/2011

This is alarming.

[JohnnyAce Okeke]

07:45 AM on 08/07/2011

The low number of comments on this article is VERY TELLING. {{-_-}}

[cavekarst]

10:47 AM on 08/06/2011

I believe my penis has several responsibilities
but doing value judgements isn't one of them.
I believe we may have HIV because somebody
thinks differently.

[Kenright]

09:41 AM on 08/06/2011

MLK was an incredible inspirational leader to the Black community that he could have fixed this, if only given a chance. Why hatred had to end his short life is just beyond my understanding. When the ship loses it's Captain, it goes off course.

[Charles Queen]

10:48 PM on 08/05/2011

Now days,there simply is no excuse for people not to be tested for HIV and if their going to remain sexually active then they need to do so more than once a year for sure.As for there being such a high number in afro-americans i don't know the answer to this one.Being tested is not an inconvience at all and is certainly a simle thing to do

[TivoliEclipse]

09:12 PM on 08/05/2011

Stupid!

[JohnnyAce Okeke]

08:06 PM on 08/05/2011

Need I say more? I guess the truth is homophobic. {{-_-}}

[kickinupdust]

04:04 PM on 08/05/2011

Okay, why is it that when organizations put information about various diseases, it's about Black men? It's like some kind of propaganda tool to say to the world that Black Men are poison and or diseased and are risky to deal with. It's similar to what was done during the war when they had leaflets of Black men with tails as if Black men were some kind of speices. I've never seen a report about Gay or Bi-white men. When reports like this come out I for one am always suspicious about the intent.

[Charles Queen]

10:50 PM on 08/05/2011

I tend to agree with you on this.This is net delegated to just the afro-american community,not by a long shot

[NeverRetro]

03:12 PM on 08/05/2011

Just another tool the black church will use to spread hate, instead of healing.

[lacrosselamore]

03:53 PM on 08/05/2011

It is hardly confined to churches of a single race, or even of a single religion.

[makemesmile]

06:37 PM on 08/05/2011

I think that black churches need to recognize that there are homosexual, bi-sexual, transsexual, and transgender black people. It's not the church's job to judge the sexual behavior of people. The church can read the words of the bible and give their interpretation of those words. God is the one who will be forgiving by mercy and grace, not mankind.

[merwordup]

01:32 PM on 08/07/2011

What does the church have to do with other people sexual behaviors? If people, whatever color, decides to have multiple sex partners and unprotected sex, then the individuals' fault that they get those diseases. And you are judgemental? Your post does not make sense. Can't humans display mercy and grace as well. Can't people with common sense understand that unprotected sex is very risky? I don't buy people blaming the church on people's risky behavior. People may actually do better by being married and saving sex until after marriage.

[hjo4]

01:24 PM on 08/05/2011

Since the prison population for Black men are the highest in the nation, and prisons do not provide condoms it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why the HIV+/AIDS numbers are skyrocketing in some pockets of the Black community. There are several ways that the HIV+ status can be addressed but State governments refuse to give inmates condoms and many women refuse to believe that men (no matter how much they may deny it) will have sex with other men if they are incarcerated.They must be educated on how to love and respect themselves enough to use protection or not have sex. But the bottom line is that the individual must be responsible for themselves, their own well being and their own HIV+ status.

[Bob Brown 1969]

07:17 PM on 08/04/2011

This is terrible. When you are young you often feel that nothing can harm you. When you are devalued, as in the comments posted below, you may not have enough self worth to care about protecting yourself. People make stupid and unsafe decisions every day and sometimes it costs them their lives or their health.

The rates of gay acceptance are lower in the black community. This probably makes young black men less likely to get the help they need to make safe decisions.

[lacrosselamore]

03:41 PM on 08/05/2011

Nicely written. F&F

[TheEnergyDD2]

02:46 AM on 08/06/2011

Less likely to make safe decisions? No. How about it makes them MORE likely to make poor choices. No matter who you are having sex with it is easy to walk into a pharmacy, gas station, or clinic and get a handfull of comments.

Fanned for the 1st half of your comment though.

[SeriouslyThink]

02:15 PM on 08/04/2011

Black men could learn a lot more from black women who with less opportunity then them and often burdened with thier children for which black men rarely are positivly if at all involved with, struggle to make it on thier own.

[kickinupdust]

04:51 PM on 08/05/2011

A lot more black women get help form the state or county, but again, I don't know what that has to do with the subject.

[SeriouslyThink]

05:58 PM on 08/05/2011

Sorry, this was actually part of the other comments I made. My comment was too long so I had to break it up. Unfortunately, it was approved out of order so I can see your point.

[SeriouslyThink]

06:04 PM on 08/05/2011

Btw, the women get more help from the state because they are the one's physically and financially caring for the child a high percentage of the time. Hence makes sense if anyone is to be helped concerning the children, it should be the one actually present and involved. It the father was actually earning that title by being involved, having full/joint custody and active with that child then he too would recieve help from the state. Would love to see more of that. Love to see a Father proud of his child.