As National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day nears, I wanted to share highlights of actions that have unfolded since our last blog post onachieving the goals of the NHAS for women.
Impact of HIV on Women in the U.S.
Nearly 300,000 women in the United States are living with HIV/AIDS and, according to the CDC, there are an estimated 11,200 new HIV infections among women each year. Approximately 80% of these women are infected through heterosexual contact. At a population level, 1 in every 32 black women; 1 in 106 Hispanic/Latina women; 1 in 182 Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander women; 1 in 217 American Indian/Alaska Native women; and 1 in 526 white or Asian women will be diagnosed with HIV infection. These data illustrate the disproportionate burden of HIV borne by African American women and Latinas compared to women of other races/ethnicities.
We know that gender inequality and inequity contribute to women’s vulnerability and risk for HIV acquisition. We also know that many of these women face challenges in access to health care as well as experience poverty, violence, trauma, and other conditions that exacerbate their risk for HIV.
