aids
...ited States since 1981, and as many as 900,000 Americans may be infected with HIV. The epidemic is growing most rapidly among minority populations and is a leading killer of African-Americans. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention AIDS is six times higher in African-Americans than among whites. African-Americans make up 12% of the United States population, yet 47% of all AIDS cases are African-Americans. This is obviously a disproportional relationship. The CDC also says that whites make up 71% of America’s population; however, only 32% of all AIDS cases involve whites. Over 65% of all pediatric AIDS cases are Black children (CDC). Without continued study and analysis of the current crisis, the epidemic will surely worsen. There are several factors that have contributed to this alarming trend. The social stigma surrounding AIDS, stigmas concerning homosexuality, lack of educational programs and advocacy and impaired judgment are those factors. Only through increasing understanding, supporting AIDS prevention programs and shattering myths can the battle against AIDS in the African-American community be won. The lifetime cost of health care associated with HIV infection, in light of recent advances in HIV diagnostics and therapies, is $155,000 or more per person. the population of African Americans living with AIDS has been increasing, due largely to the availability of more effective treatments but als...