New data (pdf) have dire implications for black gay men:
Black gay men in the U.S. have a staggering 1 in 4 chance of becoming infected with HIV, and the rate of new infections in that population is rising. This level of disease burden is comparable to that in impoverished Third World nations.
In so many ways, black gay men are the ignored face of the epidemic today, which is why countering homophobia in the African-Amercian community is not just worth doing, but also life-saving. The rate of infection among black gay men is roughly eight times that of white gay men. You cannot defeat this disease without defeating the stigma attached to it – a stigma that encourages denial, disease and death. From the report:
Black gay men's higher risk of HIV does not stem from higher levels of risk behavior. Rather, their disproportionate risk of HIV can be traced to their poor access to health services, a high prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, and early patterns of sexual behavior among young gay men.
No one has responded to this health crisis with the urgency it warrants. Federal agencies don't even track HIV resources focused on Black gay men, and state and local governments badly under-prioritize prevention and treatment services for Black gay men. Neither Black America nor the LGBT community has made the fight against AIDS among Black gay men a priority.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the population group next most likely to become HIV-positive is African-American women.
The Dish 