Don't Blame DL for HIV in Black Women

Straight black men with multiple partners bear greater responsibility for the high rates of HIV in black women than bisexual men on the "down low," according to an official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We have looked to see what proportion of infections is coming from male partners who are bisexual and found there are actually relatively few," said Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, in a statement. "More are male partners who are having female partners and are injecting drugs or using drugs or have some other risks that may put those female partners at risk of acquiring HIV."

African-American females make up 61% of all new HIV cases in the country, and HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death for black women ages 25-34. However, Fenton said, HIV transmission rates are greater among gay and bisexual black and Latino men than among white gay and bisexual men.