Happy Tuesday, chicas! Today is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The reason for this observation is to raise awareness on the growing impact HIV/AIDS is having on women and girls and to encourage us to do something about it!
The theme for this year is HIV is Right Here at Home.
Here are a couple of facts about HIV:
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In 2005 (the latest statistics), women represented 26 percent of new AIDS diagnosis. Compare that to 11 percent of new AIDS cases that were reported in 1990. The majority of women are infected with HIV through heterosexual contact and injection drug use.
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Women of color are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. AIDS is now the leading cause of death for Black women ages 25 to 34.
Did you know that women are biologically more likely to contract HIV during vaginal sex? Reasons include:
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The lining of the vagina provides a big area, which can be more exposed to HIV-infected semen.
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Semen has higher levels of HIV than vaginal fluids.
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More semen is exchanged during sex than vaginal fluids.
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Having untreated sexually transmitted infections (STIs) makes it more likely for women to get HIV.
Of all the U.S. women living with this, Black women represent a stunning 64 percent. Why is this?
- Poverty — The U.S. Census discovered that one in four Black women lives in poverty. Studies have shown a strong connection between poverty and the risk of HIV infection. People living in poverty also get lower-quality health care in general, which can mean advancing from HIV infection to AIDS more rapidly.
- STIs — HIV is most commonly spread to women through sexual contact. Untreated STIs that break the skin, such as genital herpes and warts, give HIV easy access into the bloodstream. African American women are at much greater risk for some STIs. For instance, gonorrhea rates among African American women were 14 times higher than among white women in 2006.
- Incarceration of African American men — Based on current rates of incarceration, nearly one-third of all African American men will go to prison in their lifetimes. Cycling in and out of the prison system leads to fewer available African American men in the community. Living in prison also exposes many men to anal sex- through force or choice- and injection drug use. These things incresase the risk of passing HIV to both the men and their female partners at home.
Black men on the down low may also be a factor in the burden of HIV on African American women.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you what you should do to prevent this from happening to you- I’m sure you’ve heard dozens of times already. I will tell you what you can do on this day to show support.
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Get tested
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Use safer methods to prevent HIV
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Decide not to engage in high risk behaviors
- Talk about HIV prevention with family, friends, co-workers, whoever!
- Give support to people living with HIV/AIDS
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Get involved with or host an event for NWGHAD in your community
For more information on how HIV/AIDS affect girls and women, check out: www.hhs.gov/aidsawarenessdays/days/woman/index.html
