Blacks Still Disproportionately Affected by HIV/AIDS; Not News To Me...

UNITED STATES: "US Blacks Continue to Bear the Brunt of HIV/AIDS"
Reuters Health (02.06.09)

African-American men and women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said ahead of Saturday's ninth annual Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

African Americans comprise 12 percent of the US population but account for almost half of new HIV infections and nearly half of all Americans living with the virus. CDC data found that in 2006, more new HIV infections occurred among young black men who have sex with men than in any other segment of the US population, the NIAID statement noted.

"To win the battle against HIV, it is crucial that African Americans - and indeed all Americans - get tested for the virus during routine medical care, as the CDC and the American College of Physicians recommend," said Fauci. Of the 1.1 million Americans who have HIV, 20 percent do not know they are infected.

"Increasingly, scientific evidence indicates that beginning treatment for HIV as early as possible in the course of infection has advantages for infected individuals, their partners and their communities," Fauci said. "Early treatment appears to improve the odds of staying healthier longer."

"Treatment is no substitute for prevention, however," Fauci added. "NIAID-funded investigators are working to develop and validate new methods to protect against HIV infection." The institute is conducting HIV/AIDS research that specifically benefits African Americans.

For information on NIAID-sponsored HIV/AIDS clinical trials that are open to participants, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.