Is AIDS a Black disease?
While I question some of the framing of this article, the numbers presented by this CNN report are astounding – though it should really be no surprise. I find it amazing that this is no examination of why we have an AIDS crisis here in the US. Can’t we talk about who has access to education, money, medical treatment, condoms, etc? Isn’t it funny how the people who are systematically oppressed in our society are also the ones who have the highest rate of infection?
AIDS is not a black disease – the disease itself knows no color line (do we not remember the AIDS is a “gay disease” framing of a couple of decades ago?). HIV/AIDS affects us all. Rather than using these numbers to frame a disease in the terms of race, we should use this information as a call to examination of the economic, social and political oppression black folk continue to experience in the so-called “Land of the free”.
Read the full CNN article here – part of the Black in America series.
Edit: You may also find this article in the NY Times interesting. The report echoes the same sentiment, but has a wider framing than just a “black disease”. Further, it will be interesting how the CDC uses these staggering new numbers to help better control the epidemic – especially among groups that are greatest affected.
When it comes down to it, we need better sex education in this country. There is a direct correlation between ignorance and the prevalence of STDs/HIV/AIDs. This unfortunately means that poor Americans, who have less access to quality education and healthcare, are more susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases. AIDs isn’t a “black problem” necessarily, but it is largely a problem for people who are below the poverty line…a good percentage of which happen to be black Americans.
I agree completely. Better education, better access to resources is key to improving one’s health and reducing the AIDS epidemic. But we need to examine why the majority of people at or below the poverty line are black. Why are black folk not afforded the same access to education as whites? Why does the system work to keep those who are down in place?
Thanks for the comment!
-aec
AIDS is not a black disease. Generally, it is a disease the largely affects people below the poverty line and those that are often under educated. In the US, many blacks fall into that category. With poverty often comes lack of sex education, among other things. I understand the goal of the article but the headline, and the quote it is derived from, is harmful and inflammatory. As a black woman I’m sitting here cringing. It paints me as an undesirable in terms of dating and marriage. I am not poor, uneducated or HIV+ but the article’s presumption is that AIDS is so prevalent in the black community that I probably have it solely because I am a black woman. You must look at individuals and how they live their lives. No one knows my circumstances and whether I am high risk. I am not. However, after reading that article I know many men would unfairly steer clear of me — which is unfortunate and saddening.
Right! I’m glad that you found the article upsetting – the way in which CNN presented the article is appalling… And I would almost go as far as to call the framing of the AIDS epidemic issue as a “black disease” racist. It assumes that ALL black people are poor (a classist statement), and as you’ve pointed out that is simply not the case.
As a previous commenter said, sex education is key. And as you are aware, access to good sex education to based on class positioning. If you’re poor, you don’t have the access you need to information that could save your life.