Treatment GuideJust DiagnosedSex & DatingAfrican AmericanStigmaAsk the HIV DocPrEP En EspañolNewsVoicesPrint IssueVideoOut 100
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Ongoing racial disparities in the nation's HIV infection rate are an "indictment" of the U.S. response to the epidemic, according to a study published in the November 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. "Continuing racial disparities in HIV infection more than two decades after the identification of the virus and availability of an accurate test are an indictment of the U.S. response to the epidemic," says study lead author Adaora A. Adimora, MD, MPH, a professor of infectious diseases in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. "Existing interventions have failed to control the epidemic in African-Americans in part because critical features of [socioeconomics] promote behaviors that transmit HIV and increase the risk of HIV infection, even among those who do not have high-risk behaviors." Adimora and her fellow researchers decided to examine the factors responsible for the stark racial disparities in HIV infection in the United States and the now-concentrated epidemic among black Americans. HIV prevalence among African-Americans is 10 times greater than the prevalence among their white counterparts, according to collected data. This racial disparity in HIV prevalence has persisted, Adimora points out, in the face of both governmental and private actions, involving many billions of dollars, to combat HIV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 45% of new HIV infections in the United States in 2006 occurred among non-Hispanic blacks. Among the 13,184 adolescents and young adults in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative study, HIV seroprevalence was almost 0.5% among black Americans -- a rate 20 times that of white Americans in the study. While individuals' sexual behaviors can contribute to the disparity in HIV prevalence, according to Adimora, these differences in individual behaviors do not fully explain the marked racial differences in HIV infection prevalence. Even when comparisons are broken down by education, poverty level, marital status, age at first sexual intercourse, lifetime number of sex partners, history of male homosexual activity, illicit drug use, injection-drug use, and herpes simplex virus-2 antibody positivity, HIV prevalence among African-Americans exceeds that of whites, and it does so typically substantially. According to the team, the overall impact of these factors constitutes "structural violence," a social system characterized by inequalities in power and life of sufficient magnitude to restrict a group of people from realizing their full potential and "put them in harm's way." "There is a need for research and interventions that are informed by expertise in public health, medicine, basic science, and social sciences," Adimora states, "along with expertise in economics, business and finance, education, criminal justice, political science, and other disciplines. Governments should be held accountable for progress -- or lack thereof -- in eliminating inequities."
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Before AIDS, gay artist Rex drew hot men on the prowl — then he disappeared
April 11 2024 3:15 PM
Diets that mimic fasting reverse aging: study
March 07 2024 5:28 PM
The Most Amazing HIV Allies & Advocates of 2023
November 03 2023 12:51 PM
PrEP without a prescription now a reality in California
February 06 2024 8:37 PM
This OnlyFans Star Is Trying to Raise $100K to Fight HIV
December 26 2023 3:05 PM
Injectable HIV treatment, prevention: Everything you need to know
March 26 2024 3:28 PM
The naked Black body takes center stage in this HIV campaign
January 03 2024 1:07 PM
8 dating tips for gay men from a gay therapist
March 21 2024 2:50 PM
Mr. Gay World wants to make sure you're OK
January 02 2024 4:56 PM
Plus: Featured Video
Latest Stories
On Anal Sex Day, crack up with The Bottom's Digest
April 18 2024 10:22 AM
Todrick Hall has long supported the communities he comes from
April 17 2024 12:02 PM
Our May/June issue of Plus is here!
April 17 2024 12:00 PM
Giselle Byrd is taking center stage — and helping others do the same
April 10 2024 2:24 PM
Discover endless fun at The Pride Store: Games & electronics for all ages
April 09 2024 4:25 PM
Mean Girls' Daniel Franzese on playing an HIV+ character
April 09 2024 3:57 PM
HIV-positive Air Force, Navy servicemembers victorious in lawsuit
April 09 2024 3:02 PM
Unlocking a new level of beauty with Dr Botanicals' ethical skincare line
April 08 2024 3:40 PM
Unleash your wild side with The Pride Store’s beginner’s guide to kink
April 08 2024 3:35 PM
Why are mpox cases in the U.S. on the rise again?
April 08 2024 1:30 PM
Happy national foreskin day!
April 04 2024 1:45 PM
Adult entertainment icons Derek Kage & Cody Silver lead fight for free speech
April 03 2024 3:06 PM
LGBTQ+ patients twice as likely to face discrimination: survey
April 02 2024 4:57 PM
Spring into The Pride Store’s top new arrivals for April
April 02 2024 4:39 PM
Nashville PD Must Pay HIV-Positive Man Denied a Job
April 01 2024 6:22 PM
Common has a message on how to foster self-love
March 29 2024 7:33 PM
Listen to Dr. Levine: Take syphilis seriously
March 28 2024 6:40 PM
Breaking boundaries in gender-free fashion with Stuzo Clothing
March 27 2024 2:15 PM
Find your perfect fit with gender-inclusive fashion from The Pride Store
March 26 2024 2:16 PM