On the Down Low: A Journey Into the Lives of "Straight" Black Men Who Sleep With Men
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by James L. King, Foreword by E. Lynn Harris

ISBN: 0767913981
Format: Hardcover, 304pp
Pub. Date: May 11, 2004
Publisher: Broadway Books

Delivering the first frank and thorough investigation of life "on the down low," (the D.L.) J. L. King exposes a closeted culture of sex between black men who lead "straight" lives. The trend is proving to have skyrocketing health consequences for wives and girlfriends unwittingly caught in the double lives of their men: African American women represent 68 percent of new HIV cases, and an alarming one out of 160 black women carries the virus, compared to one in 3,000 white women.

Drawn from hundreds of interviews, statistics, and the author's firsthand knowledge of D.L. behavior, On the Down Low reveals the warning signs and protective measures every African American woman needs to know. Providing a long-overdue wake-up call, J. L. King bravely puts the spotlight on a topic that has until now remained dangerously taboo. Volatile yet vital, On the Down Low is sure to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.