Statistics about HIV in the African American community are alarming. About 50 percent of new HIV infections are found among African Americans in the United States, yet African Americans represent only 12 percent of the population.

African Americans also have the highest sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates in the nation, joining a host of other health disparities including higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and stroke among African Americans.

In fact, compared to whites, African Americans are 27 times more likely to have gonorrhea...