Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
AEGiS News Service - November 30, 2004
Elizabeth Canepa
Women and girls now account for nearly 50% of all new HIV infections worldwide, particularly in the developing world. The pandemics feminization is most apparent in sub-Saharan Africa, where close to 60% of those infected are women, and 75% of young people infected are girls aged 15-24. Women and girls do not have enough accurate information on how HIV is transmitted or how they can prevent infection. The differences between men and women socially and economically, as well as the violence women face, puts them even more at risk.
In the United States, approximately half of the 40,000 new HIV infections annually are among African-Americans and women account for an increasing proportion of these infections. AIDS is also the leading cause of death for African-American women aged 25-34.
HIV is also affecting our senior population. What no one talks about is the effect HIV has on people over 50 years of age. When you talk to seniors they feel HIV is not a risk to them. The fact is that about 11-percent of all new AIDS cases are in people over 50, and HIV transmission in women over 50 is up 107-percent since 1991. Great effort is needed to provide seniors with the education they need to stay healthy.
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Source for statistics: UNAIDS Epidemic Update - December 2004
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Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2004. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
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