He has chosen an openly gay Wisconsin man to direct the administration's AIDS policy. The government, marking the 20th anniversary of the discovery of AIDS, expressed concern last week about higher HIV rates among blacks. Health officials are particularly worried 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. Even more alarming, figures released earlier this year show 30 percent of young gay black men in major U.S. cities are infected with the AIDS virus.
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. Coretta Scott King, widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., said that eliminating the stigma faced by gay and bisexual blacks is also critical to stopping the disease. Copyright 2001, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Please read it.