9. HIV/AIDS
HIV is the virus associated with AIDS. It can only be transmitted by an exchange of bodily fluids — including semen, vaginal secretions, breast milk and blood. It cannot be transmitted by casual contact. Currently, most people with HIV are treated with a combination of drugs known as highly active anti-retroviral therapy, or HAART. Although this cannot cure the disease, it can reduce the likelihood that it will progress to AIDS. HIV is no longer a death sentence: many people with the virus are living long and productive lives.
The Black Fact: Approximately one in 16 black men will be diagnosed with HIV during their lifetime, as will one in 32 black women.
