For the disease has quietly reached epidemic proportions in the black community. One out of 50 black men and one out of 160 black women in the United States are HIV-positive, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Among whites, one out of 250 men and one out of 1,000 women are infected. Blacks, who make up only about 12 percent of the population, account for about 37 percent of reported AIDS cases, and 50 percent of the estimated 40,000 new HIV cases. Last year Surgeon General David Satcher announced that AIDS had become the number one killer of black men 18 to 44, and the number two killer of black women in that same age range.
Children account for many new cases.
It's clear that the demographics of AIDS have changed. But despite Satcher's ominous announcement, many people are still unaware of the phenomenon. Black leaders must speak out. One of the most troubling obstacles in the fight against AIDS is the discomfort of the black community with topics involving sexuality, particularly homosexuality. This ignorance only exacerbates the disease.