Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS
December 1, 2004 is World AIDS Day, and for the first time since this global day of recognition began in 1988, the impact of the virus on the lives of women is the focus. Judging by the statistics, it is easy to see why.
According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, close to half of the 37.2 million adults living with HIV are women. As infection rates climb and spread to even more regions of the world, women continue to bear a heavy burden. The number of HIV-positive women in East Asia jumped by 56% in the past year alone, and in Africa nearly 60% of all HIV infections are among women. In sub-Saharan Africa, three out of every four HIV-positive youths are women.
For both biological and sociological reasons, women are at risk. As a disease spread quite easily through sexual contact and the exchange of bodily fluids, a woman is simply more susceptible to HIV than a man. But because women do not have the same rights and privileges, nor access to employment, property and education as men, they are also more likely to face sexual violence, which can accelerate the spread of HIV.
Effectively addressing the world AIDS crisis requires that we deal not only with the health aspects, but also economic and political inequities. Unless all of us begin to value, support and empower women everywhere to protect themselves from infection and realize their lives to the fullest potential, the pandemic will increasingly exact a disproportionate toll.
Here are links to information on the state of Women and HIV, both domestically and internationally.
Posted by bernie at December 1, 2004 12:00 AMTrackBack
Thanks for the links and highlighting how important it is to focus on the lives of our sisters, daughters and moms. It's a shame that it's taken this long to really put a spotlight on this issue affecting so many women and girls.
Posted by: ronn at December 1, 2004 9:33 AM