"The first reported cases of what would be known as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) included five white men and two Black men, one from Haiti and the other from Los Angeles. Though HIV was a mystery and researchers had little information on what caused it, let alone which communities it impacted most, that lack of knowledge didn't prevent the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) from erroneously inferring that Black Haitians were at greater risk for contracting HIV."
"By the time the CDC began collecting racial statistics on the disease, Black people already made up 26% of all AIDS cases within the United States, even though they only made up 13% of the national population. Misinformation prevented the world from realizing that HIV didn't discriminate based on gender, race, nor sexual orientation. Yet, 1980s conservatism and society's lack of knowledge around HIV created a lethal stigma towards the LGBTQ+ and Black communities."
Initial HIV cases included both white and Black men, yet early CDC inferences mistakenly labeled Black Haitians as higher risk. By CDC racial reporting, Black people comprised 26% of U.S. AIDS cases while representing 13% of the population. Misinformation and 1980s conservatism produced lethal stigma against LGBTQ+ and Black communities. As of 2023 Black men and women experienced the highest new HIV diagnosis rates among racial groups. Growing healthcare, socioeconomic, and housing disparities continue to disproportionately impact the Black community. Congressional action in January blocked House Republican attempts to eliminate $1.7 billion for HIV programs, amid ongoing administration funding cuts.
Read at LGBTQ Nation
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