At the doorstep of the White House, HIV infection rates have reached severe epidemic proportions. In Washington it is black men who bear the brunt, with a seven-percent infection rate. Black women, too, represent most of new infections among women. The city’s average, across all demographics, is double that of the nation -- a wake-up call to action. At the doorstep of the White House, HIV infection rates have reached severe epidemic proportions. In Washington it is black men who bear the brunt, with a seven-percent infection rate. Black women, too, represent most of new infections among women. The city’s average, across all demographics, is double that of the nation -- a wake-up call to action.