Study: HIV Rates Higher for Black Gay Men

One in eight African-American gay men will contract HIV before age 20, according to the Black AIDS Institute. By age of 40, the likelihood is 60%.

According to the study, Back of The Line: The State of AIDS Among Black Gay Men in America, black people make up only 14% of the U.S. population, but comprise 44% of new infections. Meanwhile, this trend is the opposite of overall infection rates across the country. Gay black men in New York are 488 times more likely than other gay men to be diagnosed with HIV. Additionally, among young men ages 13-24, black males who have sex with other males are 14 times more likely to test HIV-positive than white gay and bisexual males.

"Black gay men too often remain at the back of the line when it comes to assistance," Phill Wilson of the Black AIDS Institute said in a statement accompanying the report. "While there are mobilization efforts going on to increase testing and access to treatment, they are often being implemented with little, if any, support from those who ought to care."

The report suggests that both LGBT organizations and governmental health agencies are to blame for the lack of help for black men who have sex with men. However, more support is encouraged by making black churches more gay-friendly, promoting more HIV testing, and devoting more resources to engage with black men among LGBT organizations.