More than 25 percent of those who have the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) virus are African American, and, in large urban areas, the disease is a leading cause of death, especially among black women. AIDS education is vital to supplement health care efforts in the black community. (SLD)

Factors contributing to the gap between white health status and black health status include the following: (1) a lack of culturally sensitive health information; (2) denial by blacks of early warning signs of disease; (3) delays by blacks in seeking care; and (4) decreased access of blacks to high quality health care. (SLD)