The Black AIDS Institute has released the second in a series of reports detailing the state of the AIDS epidemic among African Americans.
Reclaiming Our Future: The State of AIDS Among Black Youth, authored by University of Chicago political science professor Dr. Cathy J. Cohen and colleagues Alexandra Bell and Mosi Ifatunji, explains how social factors have helped make young African Americans the new face of AIDS in this country.
People under the age of 25 account for half of all new HIV infections each year—and within that group, Black youth account for 56 percent of them. No matter what age group one focuses in on, Blacks are severely impacted:
— African Americans account for 66 percent of new HIV infections among those 13 to 19 years old.
— Among 20 to 24 year olds, the situation is only slightly better, with Blacks accounting for 53 percent of those infected.
— Among those 13 and under, African Americans are 62 percent of all reported AIDS cases through 2003.
Download a PDF version of the full report at www.blackaids.org or request a print version to: Black AIDS Institute, Attn: Reclaiming Our Future, 1833 W. 8th St., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90057.
This report follows the release of the Institute's February 2005 report, The Time is Now: The State of AIDS in Black America. That report details the broader political and policy-making challenges involving the epidemic to date and highlights upcoming battles.
In December, the Institute will release a third report focusing on the state of AIDS among Black women, authored by accomplished journalist Hilary Beard, editor of Real Health magazine.