CDC reports that 50% of queer black men will contract HIV

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February 24, 2016 | Health Matters

CDC reports that 50% of queer black men will contract HIV

The US Centers for Disease Control [CDC] has released an alarming new report that focuses on the increased risk of HIV faced by gay and bisexual African-American men.

According to the report: "Gay and bisexual men continue to be most affected by HIV in the US. At current rates, 1 in 6 men who have sex with men (MSM) will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime, making them 79 times more likely than heterosexual men to be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetimes.”

But as one begins to examine the breakdown of gay men by race, it appears that black men are far more at risk than any other community.

“While gay and bisexual men overall have the highest lifetime risk of an HIV diagnosis, that risk varies considerably based on race and ethnicity. At current rates, 1 in 2 African American MSM and 1 in 4 Hispanic MSM be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime, compared with 1 in 11 white MSM.”

There are many reasons for the increased risk.

Socioeconomic issues -- such as poverty, limited access to high-quality health care, housing and HIV prevention education -- play a role. There is also a major stigma about being HIV+ within the black community.

"There are still a lot of people in hiding whispering about HIV," Maria Davis, an African-American former hip-hop promoter and current HIV/AIDS advocate and educator who has lived with HIV for over 20 years, told CBS News. "Stigma in the African-American community has gotten better, but it's still there. I still have people coming up to me and asking me if you can get HIV by eating behind someone or using the bathroom after someone who's HIV positive or hugging someone who has HIV, and I have to tell them, 'No, you can't get HIV that way.'"

"These estimates are a sobering reminder that gay and bisexual men face an unacceptably high risk for HIV—and of the urgent need for action," Dr. Eugene McCray, director of the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, said. “If we work to ensure that every American has access to the prevention tools we know work, we can avoid the outcomes projected in this study.”

People need to be reminded that the battle against HIV is far from over!

CDC: Half of black gay men will be diagnosed with HIV [CBS News]

STUDY: Half of Black Gay Men Will Test HIV-Positive [The Advocate]

HIV Among African Americans [CDC]