60% of black 18 year olds will be poz by age 30

[rawTOP]

Saw this in an article I was reading…

Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, reports that a black gay or bisexual man in Atlanta who becomes sexually active at age 18 now has a 60 per cent chance of becoming HIV-positive by the time he turns 30.

Source

What's your reaction to that? I had heard previously that nearly 50% of guys at black gay bars here in NYC are poz. So it doesn't surprise me.

[rawTOP]

I just added a poll to the thread. Just curious what advice people would give to the theoretical black 18 year old who's looking at a 60% chance of becoming poz in the next 12 years.

Personally, I sorta wish I were 18 right now. This is a great time to be young and have some incredible sex. My advice would be to do risk reduction when it's convenient, but ultimately put sex first. So if the kid has access to PrEP - he should go on it, but if he can't I'd still tell him to get out there and have a lot of sex.

[ethan_hines]

I just added a poll to the thread. Just curious what advice people would give to the theoretical black 18 year old who's looking at a 60% chance of becoming poz in the next 12 years.

Personally, I sorta wish I were 18 right now. This is a great time to be young and have some incredible sex. My advice would be to do risk reduction when it's convenient, but ultimately put sex first. So if the kid has access to PrEP - he should go on it, but if he can't I'd still tell him to get out there and have a lot of sex.

I agree PrEP is a game changer. I want access to this Chemical Prophylactic to become as easy to get as birth control for women.

[wood]

Saw this in an article I was reading…

What's your reaction to that? I had heard previously that nearly 50% of guys at black gay bars here in NYC are poz. So it doesn't surprise me.

Doesn't surprise me at all. I have dated more than a few black men, and have many friends who are black, men, and woman. I also am actively involved in some programs that target minority youth for HIV/STI issues.

For your poll I voted "Take risk reduction seriously, even if it means less sex" However that really doesn't capture the real issues going on withing the black community in regards to HIV, or my opinion on what should be done Multiple studies have shown that GBM in America are actually consistently using condoms more often and having less sex overall than their white, latino, and asian counterparts, so why the high rates of infection?

One of the main reasons is lack of available care. If you look at where black populations are most prevalent, its in the south. Those areas also happen to be where there is some of the worst healthcare in the nation, and lowest amounts of funding for HIV/AIDS. Additionally even among young black men and woman there is TONS of distrust towards the medical establishment. However, the biggest issue by far right now is testing. I have worked in outreach programs for minority youth, and have friends who are in the profession today. Its not easy, and what we are seeing is young people who don't get tested enough, and while there total number of sexual partners is somewhat low, and condom use relatively high compared to other populations they are spreading HIV at a much faster rate.(1) Mind you this is in a major city, not the rural south where care and testing facilities may be a hundreds of miles away. (2)(3)

There is also the fact that its fairly well established at this point that people of African decent are more at risk of catching HIV than people of non-African origin.(4) This is a causal factor but not the main reason why we are seeing such a significant rise in gay black men testing positive. Another issues is that black men tend to date within their race more than some other groups. White men also tend to date within their race, but because the pool is smaller, there is a much greater chance of exposure when the population has a greater number of infected individuals.(2)

I don't have an answer for this, but it has to be a multifaceted approach. Outreach programs targeted towards white gay men simply don't work on gay black men, especially ones in a largely homogeneous community. Targeted programs help, but its not simply a matter of changing the picture to get them in. For example the black church is still a fundamental part of many black communities and if they are not supportive of gay rights, it will keep black men in the closet and all of their affairs private. This also means they will be less likely to get tested. What I would like to see, and this goes for everyone in the US is large scale testing operations that don't just cater towards gay men. I think that would help greatly in reducing the stigma of even getting tested for HIV. Right now if you get tested many people assume you are gay or a drug addict. Changing that mentality would help greatly IMO. Additionally many school districts don't even have health classes anymore where basic sti and HIV information can be learned. These need to be implemented so there is basic knowledge about HIV. PrEP is also a game changing opportunity, but its also costly. I want to see more PrEP implimentation, but the cost also needs to drop.

As for advice for a black gay teen, I would say stay in school, be whatever you want to be, and be smart about all decisions. I would strongly advocate for PrEP because i think its a great opportunity to see infection rates drop. If the PrEP shot that lasts three months becomes a reality I would like to see ANY at risk person on it, and I would want it available like vaccines are currently.(5) With that it would be incredibly easy to see drastic drops in new infections with little personal change. As for behavioral changes, I tend to be more realistic with those. I would tell the teen to be smart, and try and use condoms, but if he doesn't to make sure he is protecting himself in other ways like PrEP, so perhaps just practicing oral sex. I disagree with the notion of "putting sex first" mostly because there is tons of things that should be coming first at that age, namely school, and professional/personal development

(1) http://www.queerty.com/study-new-report-suggests-condom-habits-differ-by-race-20120723/

(2) http://www.hivplusmag.com/research/2014/02/07/whats-really-behind-high-hiv-rates-black-gay-men?page=full

(3) http://www.washingtonpost.com/postlive/the-south-is-the-epicenter-of-new-hiv-infections-in-the-united-states/2012/07/20/gJQA70Z6xW_story.html

(4) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080716121355.htm

(5) http://www.towleroad.com/2014/03/hiv-prevention-shot-every-1-to-3-months-may-soon-replace-pills-like-truvada.html

[Poz1956]

The CDC previously said that mathematical modelling using a conservative 2.39 percent HIV incidence suggests that half of all gay men in America who are 22 years old today, will be HIV positive by the time they’re 50.

The situation with black men is not confined to the USA. The research done for the Lancet Special Report on MSM & HIV that every place where it was studied, Black MSM have a higher incidence of HIV.

It's discussed at about 28 minutes into the Policy Implications of The Lancet MSM & HIV Series.

[nyfreak]

I'm black and 21(turning 22 next month). I started becoming sexually active in my early teens and I can't even tell you have many sexual partners I had. Hmmm maybe it's because I just stick to oral, but I have never had a std...so far.

[Rayne]

It sucks that preventative measures are difficult to get for many men; as well as being seen incorrectly as a form of condom alternative. HIV isn't the only risk of bareback sex, but it is the most feared; hence, many people don't really seem to care so much about the risk of HPV, syphilis, Hepatitis, gonorrhea, or chlamydia. I won't say anything about HSV, aside from it being pretty harmless one to the vast majority, and most people may never know if they have it. It's strange that HIV is the biggest fear, since there are five others that would also be shitty to contract.

The more we make it taboo, or just difficult, for men to obtain ARVs for HIV prevention via sex, the longer we will face an "epidemic" of HIV. I won't claim any conspiracies, but I just find it strange that we can't get over the stigma and taboo. I can't help but think it's a combination of faults with doctors, society, and being labelled a slut. I just don't know what to make of it, honestly. Nothing seems to make enough sense regarding the hesitation behind prescribing it for legitimate purposes, sexual or not.

[wood]

I'm black and 21(turning 22 next month). I started becoming sexually active in my early teens and I can't even tell you have many sexual partners I had. Hmmm maybe it's because I just stick to oral, but I have never had a std...so far.

still not a bad idea to go on PrEP. I didnt do much anal until I was 21 and older, as I got older though I started to dislike oral, and only do anal.

[wood]

This explains the situation a bit more.

http://www.laweekly.com/2014-05-08/news/the-gay-black-love-conundrum/

[bbcunthole]

that means more black poz loads blown inti tight wight pussy 

[Guest BZcumdump]

Doesn’t surprise me. At the bathhouse in Detroit most white men are 35 plus while there are many black guys in their 20s.  Most will see me on my bed doggystyle and cum fuck me raw and breed me.  They don’t care I’m twice their age.  They just want some good ass.   I get at least 6 young black guys breeding me every time I go.  They don’t care if I’m hiv+.  I put my fat ass up in the air and they just want to fuck it deep and raw and bust their nutt

[Guest BBBoyfromTN]

It's achingly sad. The product of Decades of entrenched systematic racism and oppression resulting in lack of economic opportunity, little access to preventative care, and poor education. I can't help but also think of how such things were said of blacks in the 1950's and 1960's to stop integration. That blacks would spread STDs in swimming pools and such. Yeah, I suppose the rate is higher amongst blacks and had heard the same of Latinos too. My hunch is they can't afford Prep and so whether or not you contract HIV is now more a function of economic circumstance than race.

annecdotally I don't know that I necessarily believe the CDC, but then again guys do lie. Most of the black guys I've hooked up say they're neg. now, maybe they're lying or don't really know...hard to say. But I do know this...I've yet to run into a single black guy who's been on Prep. Ditto with Latinos. 

[garsento]

This is horrifying.

[LittleCumSewer]

no surprise.black men never even mention condoms when they fuck me even after watching a few random dudes blow loads in me. they are all about breeding the pussy bareback and seem to have a need to dump their loads in pussyboy bottoms as much as we need the cum from their big black cocks inside us. i usually just assume most black guys that fuck me are poz.but it doesnt matter cause girlyboy faggots exist to serve black cock.every black man owns me. wanna fuck me?fine.wanna use my throat for a cumhole?yes sir.wanna share me with your buddies?ok.wanna pimp my ass out?yes sir.wanna piss down my throat?yes please. as a slutty white girl i always knew black men would knock me up.

[atlfukbud]

So many issues here -- attitudes about and access to healthcare (PrEP, etc.), culture, age/youth and feeling invincible... my personal experience with about a dozen or more hot sexy black sex partners has been: 2 of 12 asked to use a rubber, 3 others asked if I wanted them to use one, and there was no mention of a rubber or an assertion of BB only with the rest. Beyond an initial fuck or two, we always fucked raw and they have each flooded my ass numerous times, a few of them hundreds of times. Since I hate the feel of condoms on my dick and in my arse, I do find myself actively seek out sex with black men because they are so awesome in bed and they rarely play safe (win/win)...but I imagine condom nazi's might have a different experience than I?