What the CDC Report Found
The CDC report analyzed national HIV surveillance data from 2009 to 2013.
Physiological Vulnerabilities
There are also physical vulnerabilities that place MSM at a higher risk of HIV overall.
Chief among these is anal sex.
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Biologically, the anus and rectum are lined with only a single column of cells, called epithelial cells.
that serve as a barrier to infection.
By contrast, the vagina has many.
As result, anal sex is the most efficient means of HIV infection overall.
Anal sex is associated with an 18-fold greater risk of HIV transmission when compared to vaginal sex.
This is because certain STIs likesyphiliscan cause sores that allow the virus easier access into the body.
Gay men of color also tend to have sex with older menas a result of their smaller sexual networks.
This is especially true among Black MSM and Black men in general.
This includes mistrust in public health facilities offering HIV testing and treatment.
Even if treatment is accessed, there is a greater likelihood that a Black MSM will eventually drop out.
Among Black MSM, only 59% of those who access treatment for HIV remain in treatment.
A Word From Verywell
Irrespective of the CDC findings, getting HIV is not an inevitability.
This includes confronting the HIV stigma still common in many communities of color.
To find HIV services within your community, contact your regional24-hour AIDS hotline.
2017;27(4):238-243. doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2017.02.003
HIV.gov.U.S.
Kaiser Family Foundation.Poverty rates by race/ethnicity.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.HIV and African American gay and bisexual men.
2015;10(8):e0134085.
