According to infidelity expert Ruth Houston, when it comes to Black women and AIDS, that ignorance can take many forms. Houston, founder of www.InfidelityAdvice.com, says, “This ignorance falls into two major categories - ignorance about the facts regarding Black women and HIV/AIDS and ignorance on the part of Black women about circumstances in their lives which put them at risk for HIV infection.” Within these two categories, Houston calls attention to eight specific areas of ignorance about Black women and AIDS.

8 Areas of Ignorance that Invite HIV/AIDS Infection

1. Ignorance that HIV/AIDS is now the leading cause of death for Black women 25-44 years of age and has been for the past 11 years.

2. Ignorance that almost 70 percent of all newly diagnosed HIV-positive women in the United States are Black women.

3. Ignorance that the most common method of HIV/AIDS infection for Black women is heterosexual transmission — largely due to Black men on the down low.

4. Ignorance of your partner�s sexual history or his true sexual orientation.

5. Ignorance that you are not in the monogamous relationship that you think you�re in because your partner has one or more other partners.

6. Ignorance that you are a victim of same sex infidelity — that your husband or boyfriend is sexually involved with another man.

7. Ignorance about your own and your partner�s HIV status — that he may be HIV positive and may have already infected you, his unsuspecting mate.

8. Ignorance about how to tell if your husband or boyfriend is on the down low.

Ignorance Fueled by 2 Common Myths

“Ultimately, this ignorance invites infection, regardless of what form it takes,” says Houston, who is also author of “Is He Cheating on You? — 829 Telltale Signs.” “One of the most prevalent forms of ignorance — the ignorance about how to tell if a man is on the down low — what signs to look for — is fueled by two common myths.”

Myth #1 - There are no signs — no way to tell if a man is on the down low.

Myth #2 - You can tell by looking at a man if he�s on the down low.

Down Low Dozen Tip Sheet Dispels the Myths

Last year, in an effort to dispel these myths and eliminate much of the ignorance associated with how to tell if a man is on the down low, infidelity expert Ruth Houston compiled a 2-part tip sheet for Black women called the Down Low Dozen, which gives specific guidelines on what to look for if they suspect their partner of being on the down low.

“It�s time for us to get serious about this threat to our health.” says Houston. “In order to protect ourselves against heterosexually contracted HIV/AIDS, it�s vitally important that as Black women, we know how to tell if a man is on the down low. The Down Low Dozen tip sheet is a protective measure. It could very well be a matter of life and death.”

Part 1 of Houston�s Down Low Dozen tip sheet describes a discreet 3-step procedure for finding out if a man is on the down low without the risk of making a false accusation. Part 2 includes practical advice on what to do if you find out your partner is on the down low, how to confront him about his down-low status, questions to ask, precautions to take and how to find places to get help. For a FREE copy of the Down Low Dozen tip sheet, send an e-mail to DownLowDozen@gmail.com with “DL Dozen-xpc” in the subject line.

About Ruth Houston:

Infidelity expert Ruth Houston is the author of “Is He Cheating on You? — 829 Telltale Signs,” and the founder of www.InfidelityAdvice.com She has been quoted in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, Heart and Soul, the New York Post, the Chicago Tribune, the Christian Science Monitor, the Washington Times, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, iVillage, MSN Lifestyle, AOL Black Voices, and numerous other print and online media.

Ruth has been a guest on The Today Show, Good Day New York, Telemundo, CNN, The Michael Baisden Show. The Breakfast Club, TalkAmerica, Power Talk Radio, Say it Loud, Living in Black and more than 270 other radio and TV talk shows in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand.