AIDS Is Killer for African-American Men & Women 25-44

"U.S. Challenged by Changing Face of AIDS"
Reuters (03/30/00); Dunham, Will

The AIDS epidemic, once seen as a disease of middle-class gay White men, has become a killer of minoriies and the poor, including African-American and Hispanic homosexual men, intravenous drug users, and inner-city women.  Government statistics show that minorities account for seven in 10 new AIDS cases.  AIDS is the leading cause of death for African-American men between the ages 25 to 44, and the disease is the No. 3 cause of death for African-American women in the same age group.  AIDS is also significantly affecting Hispanics, and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher notes the strong stigma attached with being homosexual in both the African-American and Hispanic communities is keeping some men from seeking HIV prevention or treatment services.