Black men in America are in danger of many things. For those engaging in gay sex, there’s also the very real fear of contracting HIV.
This is especially true for Southern black men engaging in sex with other men. While many have the misconception that HIV/AIDs isn’t as prevalent in the US as it was in the 80s or 90s, the disease is in fact now mostly found in communities of color.
The Guardian reports that there’s a one in two chance of LGBTQ black men contracting the disease and that’s especially true if they live in primarily black communities like in Atlanta, Georgia.
In order to address and document this community and ongoing epidemic, the Guardian’s Leah Green traveled to Atlanta. There, she witnessed the largest gay and black community in America and talked to residents like 25-year-old Daryon McCurdy (seen above).
“I was feeling very sick” says Daryon McCurdy, “so I went to the doctor and they said, ‘Okay, you have gonorrhea and acute HIV.’ I was so shocked.”
Through the video below, get a glimpse into McCurdy’s life and witness conversations about sexual education, poverty, racism, stigmas around living with HIV, and more.
