Black leaders urged the Bush administration Friday to step up efforts to slow the alarming spread of AIDS among minorities, calling soaring infection rates a national emergency. Coretta Scott King, widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., said the black community must eliminate homophobia among its members to stop the disease. The government, marking the 20th anniversary of the discovery of AIDS, renewed its concern last week about higher HIV rates among blacks. Health officials are particularly concerned about the infection rates among young black gays and bisexuals, saying the stigma in the black community of having HIV or AIDS may be keeping testing rates low. Whites accounted for about 324,000 cases.
Advocates cite a lack of attention to preventive health care among blacks.
Moreover, they say black men often do not participate in gay networks where safe sex is commonly discussed. The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.