African-American women rank No. 1 in contracting the sexually transmitted disease, Chlamydia, Dr. Keith Winfrey warned a Dillard audience in a recent speech in which he emphasized safe sex.

Winfrey, a professor at Tulane Medical School who has a private practice in Alexandria, and Terry Gray, a health advisor for Orleans Parish, spoke to about 20 students on the topic “Sex Sells: What are You Buying?”

Winfrey said STDs, including AIDS, are spreading rapidly, particularly among young African-American women all over the United States. He said attributed much of the problem of high rates of infection to women’s lack of knowledge, sexual inequality and intoxication.

Winfrey also said many in the African-American community are not aware of “down-low” activities. For example, he said, many men in jail are in denial and believe that if they have sex in jail, they haven’t had a gay-sex encourager. When the “down-low”man gets out of jail, he is not truthful with his mate, putting her at risk of becoming infected with an STD, including AIDS, he said.

Winfrey took questions from the audience that indicated a strong interest in what STDs are curable and incurable. Students Brittany Hrigo, Asia Settle and Troy Lovely coordinated game activities related to the consequences of not using proper precautions during sex.

(Constance Edmond contributed to this article.)