The Bridge, By Darryl James - The Bridge: HIV On The Down Low

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Darryl James
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The Bridge: HIV On The Down Low
« Thread Started on Dec 30, 2004, 4:01pm »

By Darryl James

One of today’s most wildly popular discussions for Black women is the subject of Black men on the "Down Low," (DL) referring to men who date and marry women, but secretly have sex with other men. The subject is provoking fear, and based on that fear, many Black women are looking at ALL Black men as potentially "Down Low," damaging already tenuous relationships.

HIV and AIDS are frightening. They are even more frightening when dealt with steeped in misinformation.
It is frightening that while African Americans are only 12.3% of the population, they account for 39% of AIDS cases since the beginning of the epidemic.

We should be frightened of ALL HIV infection in the Black community, whether it be the African American men who are almost nine times more likely to be infected with AIDS than white men; or the African American women who are 23 times more times likely to be infected with AIDS than white women; or the African-American men ages 25–54 and African-American women ages 35–44, for whom HIV/AIDS was among the top three causes of death in 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Any conversation about men on the DL is a rhetorical paradox, because if a man is talking about being on the DL, then he isn’t. For all the hysteria about the “growing” number of men on the DL, there is no real research available. In addition, any research would be skewed by the number of people who frankly, wouldn’t tell the truth.

Yet, even media giants such as Oprah Winfrey are irresponsibly adding to the hysteria without producing any studies to support the wild allegations, and without promoting HIV prevention methods.

In a recent show on the “Down Low” behavior, Winfrey declared that “one of the big reasons why so many Black women are getting AIDS” is because “their husbands and their boyfriends are having secret sex with other men.”<br>
Those who claim that the leading cause of HIV infection in African American women is Black men who have sex with other men, are completely ignoring the lack of evidence required to form a causal relationship.

They are also forgetting that the second leading cause for both groups is injection drug use, which means that this cause could just as well be the “bridge” to the rising infection in African American women.

The real question is: why is the focus only on Down Low Black men, as though Black men are the only group of people to participate in covert and dangerous behavior? Why not Down Low white men? Why not Down Low Hispanic men? What about Down Low women? What about Down Low drug users?

This issue has not provided any intrinsic awareness, and has not served to create more open discussions about sex, sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases. What it has done is drive a wedge between the already divided pools of single Black men and women.

According to the latest census statistics, 47% of Black women between the ages of 30-34 are unmarried. In research for “Bridging The Black Gender Gap,” my newest book on relationships, I found that the overwhelming reason given by Black women for the failure to find marriage is the “sad state of Black men in America.”

A pre-existing climate of fear and distrust facilitated the emergence of the Down Low hysteria among single Black women.

America has been enamored with and simultaneously in fear of the Black man’s mythical sexual prowess and reckless sexual behavior for ages. On the tail end of slavery, the KKK emerged, proclaiming itself to be protecting white women from the beastly and dangerous sexual appetites of the brutish Negro.

The Down Low controversy is not very divergent, in that it proclaims that the Black man has such an insatiable appetite for sex, combined with irresponsible behavior to result in increasing HIV infection of his new victim—the Black woman.

What is truly down low, is real conversation about HIV, AIDS and the myriad methods of infection.

The point is that no one knows for certain which group is infecting which, and it is misleading and dangerous for Black women to believe that all Black men are Down Low. The only thing we can be certain of is that there are specific groups with higher risk and that we need to be highly concerned with prevention.

Race and ethnicity are not, themselves, risk factors for HIV infection, according to the CDC.

According to Dr. Robert Janssen, director of the CDC’s division of HIV/AIDS prevention, there is simply not enough evidence available to point to any intrinsic factors contributing to the increase of infection in Black women.

We can’t be certain that it’s only Black men.

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Darryl James is an award-winning author who is now a filmmaker. He released his first mini-movie, “Crack,” and this year, will release his first full-length documentary. James’ appears in the film “What Black Men Think,” an in-depth view of misrepresentations, myths and stereotypes about Black men. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com

bronzegoddess
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Re: The Bridge: HIV On The Down Low
« Reply #1 on Jun 17, 2005, 12:29pm »

In other words the "down low" is low down.

I'm greatful that I'm a somewhat enlightened ,sister, who is not easily swayed by media misrepresentation of ethnic groups and their behaviors.

My undergraduate major was in education/history. From that I learned that, unless statements were based on facts, they were merely opinions.

Sadly enough these well spoken opinions expressed by high profile media personalities carry alot of weight with those who probably don't have any thoughts outside the primetime line, or who did Queen "O' have at her gala, or what's up with Brad, Jen, and Anjolina.

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bronzegoddess
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Re: The Bridge: HIV On The Down Low
« Reply #2 on Jul 5, 2005, 5:44am »

LTalabeezy,
I'm not enslaved by ignorance. I'm very aware of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. I've actually done HIV/AIDS education in High Schools, and in the Jail where I'm employed. I realize how the disease is spread, but; I refuse to fall in line and blame brothers for everything that happen to Black Women. Perhaps we sisters should take it upon ourselves to practice safe sex, or; behave responsibly and go with our partners and get tested before practicing unprotected sex. My head is not in the clouds. I'm rather well grounded in reality, and refuse to be swayed by the missed and mixed messages promulgated by the media. But do respond more.

One Luv,
The Bronzegoddess

« Last Edit: Jul 5, 2005, 5:47am by bronzegoddess »

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A Mans View
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Re: The Bridge: HIV On The Down Low
« Reply #3 on Sept 28, 2005, 7:40pm »

Women have nerve talking about men on the DL. Have you been to a dance club lately? It is not the men who are all over each other. Have you seen music videos lately? Again it is not the men who are all over each other. Have you watched TV lately? Girls gone wild etc! They say men are on the DL? Ladies if I were you I would not be throwing stones, start cleaning up your own backyard first.

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stevefilmzilla
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Re: The Bridge: HIV On The Down Low
« Reply #4 on Sept 28, 2005, 10:42pm »

Disease doesn't discriminate. Safe sex or abstinence is the sure way to prevent sexually transmitted disease. Has the Lynch mentality infiltrated our people to the point where we can't and don't want to communicate with each other about the simplest of things. To quote Dap from School Daze, WAKE UP! Only we can save ourselves from the nightmare. Jesse Jackson and Operation PUSH can't do it. It's up to us the individual man or woman to be accountable for our own actions. We owe it to ourselves to be responsible for ourselves. Heaven help us all.

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