Justin's HIV Journal: Sherri Shepherd & the Down Low Syndrome HIV at the VA Hospital

[RBG02005]

I respect sexual orientation. But anyone that breaks the sanctity of marriage and transmits a disease to their spouse or partner is morally depraved and deserves no respect.

[holocaustik]

it is not totally ignorant to blame bisexual black men for the hiv infections. however, what is key in hiv infection is the amount of sexual partners one has and that puts you at higher risk to being infected. as reported to me by nurses at the clinics straight women and gay/bisexual men have very high amounts of sexual partners. so straight black women themselves are also to blame for their own infections.

[Nikkitrust01]

Justin you have such a beautiful smile. I also think you are a well spoken man. Congrats on the marriage! Be blessed/

[ByrdyMacken]

i think the down low syndrome is versatile hell ima chick im biracial im on the down low and i like being this way i dont want people all up in my bidness

[TickleMehNancy]

Unfortunately out of all the new HIV cases, half come from black people yet they only make up 14% of the population in the U.S. And yes, bisexual black men are usually the ones that are transmitting it to black women. Black women are by far the highest risk group to get HIV more than white women and hispanic and asian women. Why is this? Maybe black men need to learn about safe sex.

[DawsonDenise]

I really like this video, good job Justin. Keep ya head up and stay strong.

[Kengikat]

I guess I am going to be the unpopular one here. While I agree that DL does not apply only to Black men, however it was a Black man who made this such a well know term. Sherri isn't the first person to say this, so I feel like attacking her is the wrong thing for any of us to do. Let's be honest here though, Black men are infecting Black women at an alarming rate and there is just no way to deny this AND, yes they are DL men. Notice I said MEN, not Black men, but it is what it is.

[akaziaj]

Thank you for posting this. I felt it was an unfair statement. However, Sherrie is not the first person to say this. It's sadly part of a pop culture phenomena that only black men are on the downlow.

Also, I don't believe that the black community is more homophobic than other communities. I think it is an unfair label that again we have internalized.

[globehunter2]

Sadly the amount of homophobia in the black community has caused all

kinds of anger mainly against black men. Black females have few choices

of available men and out number them greatly.Down low has been coined

primarially on black men as a stigma marking, from angry black females

with HIV and no husband or boy friend to share her misery.

[akaziaj]

@globehunter2 Please offer an alternative reason why black women are being disproportionately infected with HIV/AIDS.

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't it a black bi-sexual man(J.L. King) that introduced this concept back in 2004 with his highly promoted book "On the Downlow". So it was someone from your own tribe that started this mess.

Your last statement seems very irresponsible. I would image that anyone man or woman with the disease would just want supportive people.

[gun15509]

@akaziaj

The reason why a "disproportionately" of black women (the black community in general) are being infected with the virus (does not have anything to do with gay, bi DL or straight) is because of their damn behavior! Both men & women screwing, having unprotected sex with people they barley know without asking or requesting for a damn condom! Or not knowing each other's sexual history or HIV/STD status to begin with.

[SheSingsLovely]

Sherri is SUPER ignorant. I notice when ever she speaks it's all off. I agree about the downlow is just a black man thing. It happens in every race and across both genders

[Backatwon]

Shit Sherri is ignorant ..she is not the brightest bulb on the tree........SMH......I live in St. Louis and they may have infected people with HIV , Hepetitis B and C.............there was a whistle blower who brought this out last year and she was fired for being a pain to the administration of the Hospital .....another SMH moment ...we are becoming a country of such mediocre folks in so many arenas .....with respect!

[sweetsnackz]

Diggin the new haircut!! I agree with you I have a neighbor that is White and his BF is Hispanic and apparently the hispanic BF has a wife that has no idea what's going on. He said his family would disown him if they found out. I say let them disown. I told him that if he's too ashamed to tell his family he should be engaging, you know? i feel like if you think something is right for you then you should do it proudly. If you're not proud maybe that life choice isn't for you.

[sweetsnackz]

@sweetsnackz the DL isn't race specific and it's not right that one race is being blamed. much love to my OPEN gay brothas and sistas stay strong and stay PROUD!!!!!!!