HIV Still Growing in Gay Community

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show discouraging trends in the gay community’s fight against HIV. One in five sexually active gay men is HIV-positive, the CDC found. Even more shocking is that 44 percent of those infected don’t know it. Among gay and bisexual men, the highest rates of infection were found in young black men; young Hispanic men also had high per capita rates. HIV remains a major cause of concern in other segments of the U.S. population as well: It is the leading cause of death for black women between the ages of 25 and 34. Testing and awareness are key tools in reducing these numbers, the CDC stresses. “Studies show that once people learn they are HIV-infected, most take steps to protect their partners,” according to their recommendations.