November 16, 2007

Gay and Bisexual Men in Florida Face High HIV Rates

Florida health officials announced Tuesday, November 13, that approximately one in 22 gay and bisexual men in the state were HIV positive last year, with the rates being higher in some counties and among certain subgroups (sun-sentinel.com, 11/14).

In Broward County, the HIV rate among gay white men was one in 11; in Palm Beach County, one in 13 gay black men were HIV positive; and in Miami-Dade County, the rate was one in 12 among gay Hispanic men.

Some activists say that there needs to be more focus on getting HIV prevention messages to young gay men in the state: “Prevention [efforts] are disconnected from the gay community,” said Joey Wynn, an organizer at the Broward House, a community-based organization in Fort Lauderdale.