HIV transmission among black women--North Carolina, 2004.

In 2003, women constituted 28% of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) cases in the United States; approximately 69% of those cases were among non-Hispanic black women. Heterosexual transmission is now the most commonly reported mode of HIV transmission among women. In North Carolina, black women make up a growing proportion of newly reported HIV infections and, in 2003, the HIV-infection rate for black women in North Carolina was 14 times higher than that for white women. Despite this disparity, few epidemiologic studies have examined HIV transmission among black women in the United States, particularly those residing in southern states. In August 2004, the North Carolina Department of Health (NCDOH) invited CDC to assist in an epidemiologic investigation of HIV transmission among black women in North Carolina. This report summarizes the results of that investigation, which indicated that the majority of HIV-positive and HIV-negative sexually active black women in North Carolina reported HIV sexual risk behaviors. These findings underscore the need for enhanced HIV-prevention strategies in this population.