A new report on HIV infections released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforces what was previously said last month during the 17th International AIDS Conference held in Mexico City. Scientists all over the world concluded by then that homosexuality seems to be the main cause of new HIV infections. And when it comes to young black gay men, the risk of infection is seven times bigger than in the case of the whites.

The new report, published in the Sept. 12 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, reveals that the incidence of HIV infections among black males aged 13 to 29 was alarming as they were 1.6 more likely than whites and 2.3 more likely than Hispanics to contract the virus. In fact half of the new HIV infections occurred in men in this category of age compared with 31 percent for whites and 21 percent for Hispanics in the same category.

Overall, 53 percent of estimated 56,000 cases of new HIV infection in 2006 were among gay and bisexual men and 46 percent of the infections occurred among blacks. The report also found that compared to women of all races, black women bear the heaviest burden of HIV. More exactly, the incidence of HIV among them was 14.7 times higher than for white women.

 The CDC researchers couldn’t tell for sure what was the reason laying behind this high incidence among young black gay men. However, the report allegedly blames homophobia, poverty and discrimination when it comes to this category of people. Moreover, young black men are more likely to get behind bars, a place where homosexuality increases the risk of infection. And finally, it is not the first time when a report acknowledges that blacks generally are neglected when it comes to medical care and programs which could teach them how to prevent the spreading of the virus.