| The annual treatment of an indivdiual with HIV is $18,300 |
Advance comprehensive women's health in Wisconsin by engaging, educating,
empowering and mobilizing individuals and organizations. |
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|  | | HIV/AIDS is one of the most urgent health issues facing women today. Women are the fastest rising HIV infection group in the United States and AIDS is the 5th leading cause of death of U.S. women. Estimated AIDS cases in U.S. women increased 15% from 1999 to 2003.
In the United States, AIDS rates are climbing among minority women. AIDS is now the leading cause of death among African-American women ages 25-34, and HIV infection rates among Hispanic women are rising rapidly. Young women are also at high risk because of predisposed physical factors and limited ability to negotiate the terms of sex with their partner.
Women and HIV/AIDS Fact Sheet |
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| What Women Need to Know about AIDS/HIV | | Women are at risk for HIV infection. Many women think AIDS is a disease of gay men. But women get HIV from sharing needles and from heterosexual sex.
During sex, HIV is transmitted from men to women much more easily than from women to men. A woman's risk of infection is higher with anal intercourse, or if she has a vaginal disease.
Women should protect themselves against HIV infection. Having male sex partners use a condom every time can lower the chance of HIV infection. There is a female condom that provides some protection, but not as much as a male condom. Other forms of birth control, such as birth control pills, diaphragms, or implants do NOT provide protection against HIV.
Get tested if you think you were exposed to HIV. Many women don't find out they have HIV until they become ill or get tested during pregnancy. If women don't get tested for HIV, they seem to get sick and die faster than men. But if they get tested and treated, they live as long as men.
Gynecological problems can be early signs of HIV infection. Ulcers in the vagina, persistent yeast infections, and severe pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can be signs of HIV. Hormone changes, birth control pills, or antibiotics can also cause these vaginal problems. See your doctor to make sure you know the cause.
Women get more and different side effects than men. Women are more likely to get skin rashes and liver problems, and to experience body shape changes than men. They also have more problems caused by human papillomavirus HPV.
Many women are full-time parents in addition to dealing with their health and employment. This can make it more difficult to take medications and schedule medical appointments. With proper support, however, women do very well on HIV treatment. |
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