Aids Among African Americans

Natasha

B/ST 100

Prof. Uche Ugwueze

Essay #4

April 14, 2008

Aids among African Americans

AIDS is a disease that has altered a number of societal practices and patterns in a relatively short time. The disease has been known widely for no more than about 20 years, and in that time it has had a profound effect on human sexual behavior in Western society. Not every community or group is affected by AIDS in the same way, which is also one reason the scientific, medical, and governmental response was so slow in developing. AIDS has had its greatest effect in what are considered by many to be marginal communities rather than the mainstream, marginal in the sense of minority and stigmatized, like the homosexual community, the population that uses illegal intravenous drugs, and most importantly the men and women of the African American Communities. Arguably, it was only with clear evidence that the disease was spreading into the non-drug-using heterosexual community that a stronger response from government and the medical community was forthcoming. Among these factors, to better understand this disease we must look at the numbers affected and how it’s contracted, what behaviors contribute, and what we can do to stop it.

First, there are then numbers and how the disease is contracted. Wikipedia states, “In 2007, an estimated 33.2 million people lived with the disease worldwide, and it claimed the lives of an estimated 2.1 million people, including 330,000 children. Over three-fourths of these deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, retarding economic growth and destroying human capital. Antiretroviral treatment reduces both the mortality and the morbidity of HIV infection, but routine access to antiretroviral medication is not available in all countries. “ (Wikipedia Paragraph 9). Not only are the numbers affected great, but the way in which the disease is acquired does not aid in the situation at all. It is transmitted in one of the most common human practices, sex. Black women are most likely to be infected with HIV as a result of sex with men who are infected with HIV. They may not be aware of their male partners’ possible risk factors for HIV infection, such as unprotected sex with multiple partners, bisexuality, or injection drug use. Fact Sheet asserts, “Sexual contact is also the main risk factor for black men. Male-to-male sexual contact was the primary risk factor for 48% of black men with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2005, and high-risk heterosexual contact was the primary risk factor for 22%” (Fact Sheet Paragraph 5). Many of the reasons why black women are more susceptible are because the male usually does not know, or does know and does not want to seek treatment. This puts both of their lives in danger, but the male ego is so strong that at times it can hinder one’s judgment.

With the numbers on the rise, the contraction method is becoming way too easy. All it takes is one time, and the disease has been spread. Many times it is because of a lack of education on what to do and what not to do. For black men, the most common ways of getting HIV