According to the results of a study conducted by the Black AIDS Institute, young Black gay men have a 1 in 4 chance of contracting HIV by the age of 25.

Gay Black men only represent 1 in 500 Americans.

Furthermore, HIV rates amongst black gay men are actually on the rise.

From the Black AIDS Institute:

“HIV represents a lifelong threat for Black gay men. A young Black gay man has a roughly 1-in-4 chance of being infected by age 25. By the time he is 40 years old, the odds a Black gay men will be living with HIV is roughly 60%. One can scour the entire world and struggle to find a population more heavily affected by HIV/AIDS than Black gay in the U.S.

Black gay men’s higher risk of HIV does not stem from higher levels of risk behavior. Rather, their disproportionate risk of HIV can be traced to their poor access to health services, a high prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, and early patterns of sexual behavior among young gay men.”

Read more at BlackAids.com

We must make the fight against HIV and AIDS a major priority within our community. Black gay men face a unique set of challenges; the report outlines a multifaceted action plan to stem the tide of HIV amongst Black gay men.

From Queerty:

“In addition to citing infection rates, the Institute’s study ranked 25 major cities to see which addressed the needs of HIV-positive black MSM most effectively. Washington, DC; Los Angeles; and New York hit the top of the list, while Gary, IN; Memphis; and Richmond, VA, were the three worst.

Recommendations included increasing access to testing, treatment and prevention services; reducing sexually transmitted diseases; introducing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEp) and building sustainable community infrastructure and the involvement of national leaders to make the fight against AIDS a priority.”

Check out the full report here.