National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Month

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

As we move through the month of March, we want to address the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls. We’re joining others across the nation in raising awareness around women who are affected by this epidemic. HIV/AIDS was first reported 40 years ago, but with the right precautions and education, it does not have to continue for 40 more.

In recent years, the rates of HIV among the female population in the U.S. have declined, but nearly 7,000 women received an HIV diagnosis in the United States and dependent areas in 2019. It is important to recognize the women and girls who are impacted by HIV and to provide resources and education on the topic, because all people deserve to be healthy. If individuals aren’t aware of the risks of HIV or the tests available to them, they can’t get the care and treatment they need to stay healthy. HIV itself is dangerous to women and girls, but the negative attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors towards females with HIV can be harmful as well. In reality, anyone can be affected by HIV, and this diagnosis is nothing to be ashamed of.

Image Description: Photo of a woman outside with black skin and wearing black clothes in a sitting down yoga position with her eyes closed. A small red banner on the bottom right reads “let’s stop HIV together”. On the right in the center, there is a red outline of a box with large black text that reads “Take care of your body, mind, and sexual health.”In the bottom right corner there are logos for the CDC, the Let’s Stop HIV Together Campaign, and the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative.” 

A powerful initiative that opens up conversations, resources, and information about HIV is called Ending the HIV Epidemic. Through this, the Let's Stop HIV Together initiative has expanded efforts in providing helpful information on HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and stigmas.

Another great resource is the CDC's YouTube Channel Playlist about HIV/AIDS. Check out the playlist to learn more about HIV, hear from people living with HIV, recovery, treatment, and more. 

While experts across the country are working to end this epidemic, we must do our part to learn the facts! The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) helps us understand The Relationship Between Women and HIV. Here are some factors that increase the risks of HIV for women:

Image Description: A chart has a teal title bar that reads, “There are several challenges that place some women at higher risk for HIV”. Then there are four boxes with yellow sub-heading bars and blue text. The top left box title says “Racism, discrimination, and HIV stigma” with text below in black reading “Racism, discrimination, and stigma may affect whether some women seek or receive high quality health services”. An image next to the text is in the shape of a stop sign in two shades of blue and reads “stigma”. On the bottom left the title bar reads “risk of exposure” with text below in black that says “Because receptive sex is riskier than insertive sex, women are more likely to get HIV during vaginal or anal sex than their sex partner”. Next to this text there is an animated graphic of a man and a woman laying in a bed. On the top right, the title is “Unaware of partner’s risk factors” with black text below reading “Some women don’t know their male partner’s risk factors for HIV (such as injective drug use of having sex with men) and may not use a dondom or medicine to prevent HIV.” An image to the left of this text shows animated pills, a needle and a condom. The lower right box has a title that sways “Intimate partner violence (IPV)” with black text reading “Women who have been exposed to IPV may be more likely to engage in risky behaviors or be forced to have sex without a condom or medicines to prevent or treat HIV”.  An associated symbol shows an animated girl sitting on the ground with her face in her hands.  

A way to be proactive is to just ask yourself: do I know my HIV status? You can use available tools to search and find HIV prevention services near you. This tool can allow you to find places for HIV testing which is a great step towards staying healthy. There are flexible options available for testing, including free HIV self- tests: