HIV/AIDS has not spared the African-American community in Buffalo, N.Y. The two groups hit hardest by HIV and at highest risk of becoming infected are young gay men and poor African-American women. Of the 249 women with AIDS last year in Buffalo, 62 percent were African-American, according to figures from the Erie County Health Department. African-American men represent 50 percent of Buffalo's 971 male AIDS cases.

Deputy Assembly Speaker Arthur O. Eve is leading the effort to educate people about the spread of the disease. "This is a crisis we're going to deal with," Eve said. "It is devastating women of color." African-American women tend not to take care of themselves, focusing instead on the health of their family, said Khaledah Kaudeyr, HIV services director for the Geneva B. Scruggs Community Health Center.

Kaudeyr also pointed to the unequal relationships within the African-American community, one in which women far outnumber men. "We share more partners. We have partners more often who have substance abuse problems. We have partners more often who have multiple sex partners. Because of the secrecy of bisexual and homosexual relationships -- the closeted aspect of our community -- we have partners more often, that we care a great deal for, who may be bisexual or homosexual." The stigma surrounding AIDS remains part of the African-American community, Kaudeyr said. The disease is aided by lack of health care, poverty, inappropriate diet, joblessness and homelessness. For many women in this situation, AIDS becomes just another in a long list of problems, she said.

Back to other CDC news for August 24, 2001

Previous Updates | Search the CDC archive