Minority Women's Health - African Americans - Health Topics

HIV/AIDS

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV weakens your immune system, which makes it hard for your body to fight off other health problems that it could normally resist. As time goes on, your body becomes less able to fight off diseases.

Today, women account for one out of every four new HIV cases in the U.S. Of these newly infected women, about two out of three are African American. Most of these women got HIV from having sex with a man.

AIDS is now the leading cause of death for African American women ages 25-34. African American women are over 21 times as likely to die from HIV/AIDS as non-Hispanic white women.

Take these steps to protect yourself:

Use latex condoms every time you have any kind of sex (vaginal, oral, or anal).

If you use drugs and cannot or will not stop injecting drugs, use new, sterile syringes to prepare and inject drugs.

If you're getting a tattoo or having your body pierced, ask what procedures they use to prevent the spread of HIV. If they do not use new, sterilized, or disinfected equipment, go somewhere else.

Publications

Women and HIV/AIDS — Minority women have a higher risk of getting HIV/AIDS than white women. This web site explains why all women are at risk for HIV/AIDS. It talks about risk factors, prevention, getting tested, and common myths about HIV/AIDS. It also has a section for women living with HIV or AIDS. Women and their families can also use this web site or the resources it lists to learn more about HIV/AIDS and pregnancy, legislation and rights, financial assistance, research and clinical trials, personal stories, and AIDS worldwide.

http://www.womenshealth.gov/HIV/

African Americans: Answers about HIV Vaccine Research — The African American community is experiencing critically high levels of HIV/AIDS infection. The search for an HIV vaccine continues. This fact sheet answers common questions African Americans may have about the research and how it affects their communities.

http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/HIVAIDS/PDF/NIAID_HVAD_AA_FS.pdf

HIV Infection In Women — AIDS is the fifth leading cause of death for women ages 35 to 44 in the United States. This fact sheet addresses the special concerns that women with HIV/AIDS face.

http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/HIVAIDS/Understanding/Population+Specific+Information/womenHiv.htm...

HIV/AIDS Among African Americans — This publication provides statistical information about African Americans infected with HIV/AIDS in the United States. Also discussed are the interrelated challenges to prevention in African American communities.

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/aa/resources/factsheets/aa.htm

http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/youth/health/pamphlets/ywoc.htm

African Americans and HIV/AIDS (Copyright © KFF) — African Americans have been greatly affected by HIV/AIDS since the start of the epidemic. This report provides statistical information on the characteristics of infected individuals and discusses some of the reasons why there is such a high concentration of HIV/AIDS in African Americans.

http://www.kff.org/hivaids/upload/6089-03.pdf

Getting Real: Black Women Taking Charge in the Fight Against AIDS (Copyright © BAI) — This booklet provides statistics on HIV/AIDS occurrence in the African American community and information regarding the current state of AIDS among black women in an easy-to-read format.

http://www.blackaids.org/image_uploads/article_170/05%20women.pdf

Organizations

= Indicates Federal Resources

Current as of December 2007

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