African Americans/Blacks

Quick Facts

African Americans/blacks represented:
– 13% of the U.S. population in 2007
– 51% of all HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed in 2007
– 70% of the total number of reported cases of gonorrhea in 2007
– 28% of the total number of tuberculosis cases in 2007

 

 

 

HIV/AIDS

In 2007, the diagnosis rate for HIV/AIDS cases in the United States was 76.7 per 100,000 population among blacks.  Among females, the predominant HIV transmission category was high-risk heterosexual contact, which accounted for 80% of new infections. The HIV incidence rate for black females was 14.7 times the rate for white females.

Overall, the HIV prevalence rate for blacks (1,715 per 100,000 population) was almost eight times as high as that of whites (224 per 100,000). Black men bear the greatest burden of HIV infection; the prevalence rate for black men (2,388 per 100,000) was six times as high as the rate for white men (395 per 100,000). Black women are also severely affected. The prevalence rate for black women (1,122 per 100,000) was 18 times the rate for white women (63 per 100,000).

In 2007, the rate of newly diagnosed AIDS cases among blacks was 43.7 per 100,000.  The mortality rate among blacks with AIDS was 51% (7,124 deaths total) of the deaths in 2007.

More Information:

- HIV/AIDS Topic Site
- HIV/AIDS and African Americans
- HIV/AIDS Statistics and Surveillance

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)

Gonorrhea

In 2007, approximately 70% of the total number of reported U.S. cases of gonorrhea occurred among blacks.  In 2007, the prevalence rate of gonorrhea among blacks was 662.9 cases per 100,000 population.  This rate is 19 times higher than the 2007 rate among whites (34.7 cases per 100,000 population).

Chlamydia

In 2007, approximately 48% of all chlamydia U.S. cases occurred among blacks. In that same year, the prevalence rate of chlamydia among blacks was almost nine times higher than that of whites (1,398.7 and 162.3 cases per 100,000, respectively).

In 2007, the chlamydia prevalence rate increased for all racial and ethnic groups except American Indians/Alaska Natives. From 2003 to 2007, the chlamydia prevalence rate increased by 25% among blacks.

Syphilis

In 2007, the prevalence rate primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis among blacks was 14.0 per 100,000 population, an increase of 25% from 2006 from 11.2 cases per 100,000 population.

The rate among blacks also was 7 times the rate in whites, which is substantially lower than the disparity observed in 1999, when the prevalence rate among blacks was 29 times greater than that among whites.  In 2007, increases were observed among both black men (23.2 cases per 100,000 population, up from 18.1 in 2006) and black women (5.6 cases per 100,000 population, up from 4.9 in 2006).

From 2006 to 2007, the prevalence rate of P&S syphilis increased in all racial and ethnic groups except Asians.

More Information:

- STD Topic Site
- STDs and Health Disparities
- Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report 2007

 

Viral Hepatitis

Since 2004, rates of hepatitis B have plateaued among all racial/ethnic populations. However, the hepatitis B incidence rate remains the highest among blacks, with 2.3 cases per 100,000 population based on 2007 data.

More Information:

- Viral Hepatitis Topic Site  
- Surveillance Report for Acute Viral Hepatitis-United States, 2007 

Tuberculosis (TB)

In 2007, blacks born in the United States represented 45% of TB cases in U.S.-born persons and accounted for approximately 18% of the national case total. Among U.S.-born racial and ethnic groups, the greatest disparity in TB rates was for U.S.-born blacks, whose rate remained nearly eight times that of U.S.-born whites.

Blacks are the second largest racial or ethnic group (along with Asians) of all total TB cases (27% and 24% respectively), after Hispanics/Latinos (30%).

More information:

- Tuberculosis Topic Site
- TB in African Americans
- Tuberculosis Surveillance Report 2007