To be blunt, because there is no time for niceties, I am sick and tired of black leaders, secular and religious, not talking about sexual practices in the black community and not talking about how HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases are ravaging the black community.

Now those "speak-no-evil" types will have little choice but to break their silence, because it's official. In Washington D.C., HIV/AIDS is an epidemic.

At least 3 percent of District residents have HIV or AIDS, a total that far surpasses the 1 percent threshold that constitutes a "generalized and severe" epidemic, according to a report scheduled to be released by health officials tomorrow.

Exercise may equal medication in easing depression, experts say

By E.J. Mundell, HealthDay Reporter, Courtesy of BlackDoctor.org


The millions of Americans stricken each year by debilitating depression may want to consider running away from their problem -- or walking, swimming or dancing it away.

"What the studies are showing is that exercise, at least when performed in a group setting, seems to be at least as effective as standard antidepressant medications in reducing symptoms in patients with major depression," said researcher James Blumenthal, a professor of medical psychology at Duke University in Durham, N.C.

According to Blumenthal, other studies are beginning to suggest that solitary exercise, such as workouts at the gym or a daily jog, can be just as effective as group activities in beating the blues, and that "duration of exercise didn't seem to matter -- what seemed to matter most was whether people were exercising or not."

Blumenthal was lead author on a much-publicized study released five years ago that found that just 10 months of regular, moderate exercise outperformed a leading antidepressant (Zoloft) in easing symptoms in young adults diagnosed with moderate to severe depression.

By De'Laney Rowland, BlackDoctor.org Staff Writer

New research finds that minority children and adolescents who visit the pediatric emergency department more often receive diagnoses of severe mental health disorders than their white peers.

"Diagnostic decisions may have a significant influence on the course of one's mental health care. Emergency services is in a critical position as it is often the point of entry into the mental health system for many people," said Jordana Muroff, Ph.D., the study's lead author.

Muroff, a social worker, psychologist and assistant professor at Boston University, and colleagues examined a year's worth of medical records from an urban pediatric psychiatric emergency department.

The findings, which included 2,991 patients under age 22, are in the May-June issue of the journal General Hospital Psychiatry.

By Nicole Smith, BlackDoctor.org Staff Writer


Black Americans are more likely than whites to suffer severe, untreated and disabling depression, U.S. research shows.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed data on 6,082 people who took part in a national survey conducted between 2001 and 2003.

They found that 17.9 percent of white Americans had depression at some point in their lives, compared with 10.4 percent of blacks of African descent and 12.9 percent of blacks of West Indian or Caribbean descent.

Rates of depression in the 12 months before they were surveyed were 7.2 percent for Caribbean blacks; 6.9 percent for whites; and 5.9 percent for blacks of African descent. Among those who reported depression at some point in their lives, rates of depression in the 12 months before they were surveyed were 56.5 percent for blacks of African descent; 56 percent for Caribbean blacks; and 38.6 percent for whites.

By Shawn Johnson, BDO Staff Writer


It's the new year and you've decided that this is the perfect time to finally get in shape. Have you priced out exercise equipment or gym memberships yet? If not, brace yourself. Getting in shape can cost a pretty penny. But don't throw in the towel just yet -- there are plenty of ways to cut your fitness expenses and still get the resources you need at a price you can afford.

Save at the Gym

Going to the gym is a popular way to get in shape. Depending on what time of the year you join, you can get a really good deal on membership rates. Health club enrollment typically spikes in January, as thousands of well-meaning people decide to make good on their New Year's resolutions. This isn't the time to get a deal, however, since clubs don't need to offer discounts to attract new members.

But everything changes in the spring and summer when the number of new members begins to dry up. May to September is the ideal time to haggle with your local gym over fees. You have even more bargaining power if you can get a lower price from another gym on the other side of town -- many gyms will match the price of their competitor in order to get the sale.

By Chasity Johnson, BDO Executive Editor

For the last couple of months steroid usage in competitive sports has flooded every media outlet known to man. Professional athletes, such as baseball superstar Roger Clemens, have been publicly scrutinized and criticized for their alleged illegal use of this performance enhancement drug. The controversial rumors of its usage have even escalated to a level of awareness that has triggered a congressional investigation. And now, as the saga unfolds, this phenomenon has unexpectedly filtered over into another vicinity of entertainment, Hip Hop.