Get involved to fight this dreadful disease HIV
You can't be on the sidelines and wish it gets better. You have to roll up your sleeves and lend a hand.
African Americans accounted for 46 percent of new HIV infections in 2011.
As the table above shows, African Americans are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. Both African American men and women are most likely to be infected through unprotected sex with a man, with injecting drug use being the second most likely route of HIV transmission. Factors such as heightened levels of poverty, lack of access to adequate healthcare, and stigma surrounding men who have sex with men characterize the epidemic among African Americans.
A Kaiser Family Foundation survey reported the concern about HIV among the African American community. 40 percent of this community reported feeling 'very concerned' about being infected with HIV, compared to 11 percent among the white community. This figure jumps up to 50 percent among young African Americans - those under 30 years of age. White people are less than half as likely to know a friend or family member living with HIV, or who has died of an AIDS-related illness.
Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 22 percent of new HIV infections in 2011.
This is relatively proportionate to their share of 17 percent of the USA population, but they are still more than 3 times as likely to be infected with HIV than whites.
It is estimated that 1 in every 36 Hispanic/Latino men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime compared to 1 in 106 Hispanic/Latino women. Of all male diagnoses in 2011, 79 percent were transmitted via sex between men, 11 percent via unprotected heterosexual sex, and 8 percent via injecting drug use. Among females, 86 percent of HIV infections were the result of unprotected heterosexual sex, and 14 percent injecting drug use.
Language barriers, cultural factors, and migration patterns have been identified as barriers to HIV prevention and treatment within the Hispanic/Latino community.
Join us as we step up to the challenge!