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Throughout the past two decades acquired immunodeficiency syndrome has taken its toll on many communities across the globe. The African-American community has been no stranger to the devastating effects of this virus. According to the Center for Disease Control, a government health agency based in Atlanta, Georgia, African-Americans make up 12% of the United States population, yet 47% of all AIDS cases are African-Americans. This is obviously a disproportional relationship. The CDC also says that whites make up 71% of America’s population, however, only 32% of all AIDS cases involve whites. The epidemic does not stop with adult blacks, over 65% of all pediatric AIDS cases are Black children (CDC). Without continued study and analysis of the current crisis, the epidemic will surely worsen . There are several factors that have contributed to this alarming trend. The social stigma surrounding AIDS, stigmas concerning homosexuality, lack of educational programs and advocacy and impaired judgment are those such factors. Only through increasing understanding, supporting AIDS prevention programs and shattering myths can the battle against AIDS in the African-American community be won. The word discrimination once conjured images of h