Facts on the impact of
HIV/AIDS on women and girls,
with related links
Women and young girls in Zimbabwe, India, Peru and other developing
countries are the most vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections
and the HIV contagion sweeping the developing world. The statistics
are staggering. Among adolescents, teenage girls are infected at a
rate five to six times greater than their male counterparts. In some
regions, one woman in five in her early 20s is infected with the
virus - a large proportion of these young women will not live to see
their 30th birthday. At the end of 1999, an estimated 13.2 million
children under age 15 lost their mothers, or both parents, as a
result of AIDS. Simply being married can be a huge risk factor for
infection among women.
The primary reason for this enormous discrepancy in infection
rates between men and women is gender inequity in social and
economic status. The story of young girls trading sex in return for
material favors to survive is a common reality in many regions. In
order to reverse the tide of HIV/AIDS, and other sexually
transmitted infections, and make significant and sustained advances
in the reproductive health of women worldwide, health programming
must attend to the status of women and girls in society.
For additional information, we suggest:
Multilaterals
Foundations and Non-Governmental
Organizations
Governmental
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