DO U KNOW...

February 7th is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day…According to the 2000 census; African Americans make up approximately 13% of the US population. However, African Americans accounted for 19,206 (50%) of the estimated 38,730 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the United States in the 35 areas with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting. During 2001–2004, the rate of HIV/AIDS diagnoses for African Americans decreased, although the rate for African Americans was still the highest rate for all racial and ethnic groups. The primary mode of HIV transmission among African American men was sexual contact with other men, followed by heterosexual contact and injection drug use. The primary mode of HIV transmission among African American women was heterosexual contact, followed by injection drug use. Of the estimated 145 infants perennially infected with HIV, 105 (73%) were African American (CDC, HIV/AIDS Reporting System, unpublished data, June 2005). Of the estimated 18,849 people under the age of 25 whose diagnosis of HIV/AIDS was made during 2001–2004 in the 33 states with HIV reporting, 11,554 (61%) were African American. Of the estimated 80,187 African Americans whose diagnosis of HIV/AIDS was made during 2001–2004 in the 33 states with HIV reporting, 49,704 (62%) were males, and 30,483 (38%) were females. PLEASE PEOPLE, KNOW YOUR STATUS. GET EDUCATED, GET INVOLVED, GET TESTED AND GET TREATED!