Get Free® Statistics

Below are a few statistics to arm yourselves with empirical data when spreading the word about HIV/AIDS among African American adolescents. Spread the word!

• African American adolescents and young adults have the highest number and the highest rate of suicide of any age group of African Americans.

• Suicide was the third-leading cause of death among African American people aged 15 to 19 years, fourth among those aged 20 to 29 years, and eighth among those aged 30 to 39.

• The comparative descriptions of suicidal ideation and behavior show some important differences; for example, the rate of suicide in males is higher than that in females, but studies of suicidal thoughts and nonfatal suicidal behavior (suicide attempts) routinely show females with higher rates (U.S. Public Health Service, 2001).

• The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System is a school-based survey of health risk behaviors (including suicidal thoughts and behavior) among high school students. In 2003, African American high school students reported the following during the 12 months preceding the survey: For those who seriously considered suicide, the gender breakdown was: males 10.3%, females 14.7%; and for those who attempted suicide, it was: males 7.7%, females 9.0% (Grunbaum et al., 2004).

• African Americans make up approximately 13% of the U.S. population, but in 2005 they accounted for 49% of the estimated number of HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed. Among youth, while only 15% of teens (ages 13–19) are African American, they accounted for 73% of new AIDS cases reported in 2004. (CDC, 2005)

• The rate of AIDS diagnoses for African-American females was 24 times the rate for white females for African American males it was 8 times the rate for white males (CDC, 2005).

• The primary modes of HIV transmission among African-American adult or adolescent females are high-risk heterosexual contact (74%), followed by injection drug use (24%) (CDC, 2005).

o The primary modes of HIV transmission among African-American adult or adolescent males are male-to-male sexual contact (48%), followed by injection drug use (23%) and high-risk heterosexual contact (22%) (CDC, 2005).