HIV/AIDS Disproportionately Devastates Black Communities

By the mid-1990s, HIV/AIDS had become the leading cause of death for Black Americans aged 25–44. Black Americans represented 13% of the population but by 1996 accounted for 41% of new AIDS cases. Intravenous drug use, inadequate healthcare access, and legacy distrust from the Tuskegee Syphilis Study contributed to disproportionate impact. The CDC declared Black America a special focus area in 1998.