3 Truths About HIV in the Black Community

By Alexa SpencerOriginally appeared in Word in Black HIV is not a thing of the past.Even with advances in science and medicine, thousands contract the virus each year. That’s why the United States observes National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Feb. 7. The annual observance aims to increase awareness about the disease’s disproportionate impact on Black Americans while rallying community members to help end the epidemic.& What’s there to know about HIV? A lot. In 2021, over 36,000 Americans were diagnosed. Despite only accounting for 12% of the nation’s population, Black people accounted for nearly half of those diagnoses& — a trend that’s persisted since the epidemic began in the 1980s.& Understanding how HIV spreads — and how infections are prevented — can save lives. Get a handle on your HIV education by starting with three key facts.1. If untreated, HIV progresses through three phasesAcute human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection& is the first phase. During this stage, which develops within two to four weeks after infection, some people experience flu-like symptoms. They may develop a fever, headache, or rash. The level of HIV in the blood is very high at this time, as well as the risk of transmission to...