I just found out that a young woman in my family has been HIV positive for the last two years. She is only 19 years old! Honestly, it's not only about sex...studies have shown that white teens have just as many if not more sex than black teens. I really think it's about sex education and young girls having the confidence to stand up for their bodies.

Seriously, there's not enough Black People on the Planet compared to other (races), to make this a "black thing". Keep it real. When you put a male genital in a rectum it has fecal matter on it, and then put it in a female genital, guess what happens? Now her genitals have that bacteria growing in her. Keep it real, we know where HIV comes from, but Females Keep ALLOWING Men to treat them like OBJECTS. When Women ALLOW This, thier genitals become a garbage disposal...only the garbage is flowing throughout their blood stream. Love Yourselves,and treat your body like the temple in which your true spiritual self dwells.

wtf!Wear rubber or don't do it!

black virgins may exist but they're obviously not enough or hiv in blacks wouldn't be so dang high. adults, no excuses. teens, too young to understand the risk. peace.

People, adults do need to think before they act, but teens are much more vulnerable and easily influenced by what's around them. Why aren't the stats the same for other minority or majority groups? Why do we keep reading that our people have the highest rates coming in like in D.C.? Are we to say the numbers are wrong and it's a conspiracy? We can't just say teens need to think before they act and leave it at that. Don't you think something more has to be done? If it was that simple the stats wouldn't be so high for us and HIV.

The major PROBLEM is people aren't communicating.

Btw, black virgins do EXIST, So you really can't blame black culture. PEOPLE need to THINK before they DO the ACT.

"If black folks live in a culture that ever where you turn whether it be music, dance, dating, etc. and everything is about sex, sex, sex (dress, lyrics, dance, casual relationships) and young people are constantly barraged with this," That's not black culture that American CULTURE. There are plenty of sexually active youth white and like who aren't catching Diseases left and right or making babies. People need to wrap it up OR stop w horing around. If you have someone you care about or LOVE you still need to pactice safe sex. This is common sense. Some people need to abstine form sex altogether though.

It's not ALL of popular cultures fault, but HELL yes they are a significant part of the problem in our very own culture. If black folks live in a culture that ever where you turn whether it be music, dance, dating, etc. and everything is about sex, sex, sex (dress, lyrics, dance, casual relationships) and young people are constantly barraged with this, WHY WOULD THE HIV STATS SURPRISE ANYONE! As blacks, we can't just keep saying, "It starts at home or teach your kids" because there's no one home teaching the kids. Now, if you are an adult, yes, you're responsible for yourself. But when it comes to 15 year old girls, the problem IS our culture and what we feed them.

The high rates of HIV among African American women has to do with mulitiple partners and minimal use of condoms. As we know, it is easier for a man to transfer HIV to a woman, then vice versa. That's the main reason women should limit their partners and use condoms. Also, fathers are not in the home for these young girls, and if the truth be told many momma's are in the street with someone's husband or going from man to man. Remember, mothers of daughters, your daughter watches how you conduct yourself as women, in every sense of the world. In many instances, how you relate to men is how they will relate to men. So watch what you do, young girls have a very keen eye.

"Her type", refers to being able to see or know black women in successful, healthy, honest, monogamous relationships. If you're a young girl (15 and up like the stats say for HIV) and you see your own mother hop from boyfriend to boyfriend, and everyone thinks casual sex is okay you make think the same way and take risks. I hope that explains it.

"Her type is far and few in between" What's her TYPE, lady? Some times people really get on my nerves with stupid remarks. HER TYPE.

People need to stop blaming popular culture too. It's called free will. If people would stop wh oring around or start pacticing SAFE sex this wouldn't be happening. If You can't do either then you should practice being abstinence. Do people even get tested with their partners anymore?

15 to 45. Are these the statistics for all women or BLACK WOMEN? What happend to the 25 to 45 Statistic. It's like no matter how much people are aware of the stats it's get's worse and worse. I don't understand. It's heartbreaking to see these numbers. I can only imagine what the wedlock statistics are when they come out again.

Surprised? No. At least not in this country. Look at the type of role models for young girls, besides Michelle Obama. Her type is far and few in between. Let's see now. We have beautiful Beyonce always scantily clothed , we have rappers constantly singing suggestive lyrics, we have video hoes gyrating all of the time. Even the dancing, which is fun, is extremely suggestive amongst teens. Why then, should anyone in this country be surprised by the stats? Oops. Almost forgot. How many young girls have fathers in the home to protect them?