Health center educates African-American youth about HIV risk

A community wellness organization in Rochester, New York recently held a public forum to discuss the high risk of HIV transmission among young African-American men, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

The Men of Color Health Awareness Project (MOCHA) Center, located in Monroe County, examined data collected by the county's department of public health, which showed that nearly half of the area's annual HIV infections are among young men of color.

Likewise, the newspaper reported that 65 percent of HIV cases in males under the age of 25 occurred in black men.

Over 90 percent of these cases were men who have sex with men.

The MOCHA Center stressed the importance of community education, sexual testing and realistic thinking. It added that denial about the risk of contracting HIV only increases the risk, the news source said.

HIV is incurable and may lie dormant for months or years before its symptoms appear. Individuals who have had unprotected sex or engaged in risky behavior may consider purchasing online testing services.

Nationally, African-Americans account for 46 percent of all HIV infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.