AIDS is the number one cause of death for African American men and women aged 25 to 44, ranking higher than heart disease, cancer and homicide.

One in 50 American men are HIV positive. One in 160 African American women is HIV positive.

African American women account for 58% of the total reported female AIDS cases. African American males were 34% of the AIDS cases among men.

African American youth ages 13 to 24 comprise 15% of the overall population, but are 58% of the adolescent HIV cases and 44% of the AIDS cases. Black children are 59%of the reported pediatric AIDS cases.

African American senior citizens represent more than 57% of HIV cases among persons over age 55.

Intravenous drug use is fueling the epidemic in African American communities. It accounts for about 40% of the AIDS exposure in women and 33% among men. In addition, of the total 80,802 reported cases for female adult/adolescents, 39% were exposed to the virus through heterosexual contact.

Men having sex with men (MSM) among African American adult/adolescent men with AIDS represents 37% of the 218,349 total cases. Only 8% were exposed through heterosexual contact and 33% through injection.

AIDS is the leading cause of death in Africa. It is estimated that over 42 million people worldwide are suffering with HIV/AIDS. 70% or 28.5 million of those people are Africans. In the Southern regions of Africa, 1 in 5 people under 30 are infected and over 12 million children are orphaned by the death of their mother, father or other family member.

Data provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported through June 2001.

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