subject: Women And Hiv [print this page] HIV is a condition that affects people across the entire world. However, it seems that women are more heavily affected than men. A study done in 2005 showed that there are 17.5 million women across the world that are infected with HIV. In the United States between the years 2000 and 2004 the incidence amongst women increased by ten percent while men only showed an increase of seven percent. Thus it would appear that a closer look at how HIV affects women in particular is required.
The first thing to note is that women are more vulnerable to contracting HIV through a heterosexual relationship than men due to the exposure to seminal fluid which carries the virus. This risk is also amplified as a result of the high incidence of non-consensual intercourse and unprotected intercourse. This latter concern is a very valid problem especially in some African cultures where the use of a condom is frowned upon or refused by the men of the community.
Men and women suffer many of the same complications that accompany an HIV infection. However, it has been found that women suffer many additional complications as a result of an HIV infection. They may be subjected to recurrent yeast infections, pelvic inflammatory disease as well as an increased risk for cervical cancer. Women have also shown a tendency to show different symptoms of complications arising from antiretroviral therapy which include metabolic abnormalities. In addition to these health related complications arising from an HIV infection is the fact that the average woman, especially in African countries, is responsible for taking care of the family including other family members who may be HIV positive.
Women also carry the risk of falling pregnant and transmitting the virus to their unborn child. A study conducted in the United States found that a quarter of the HIV positive women who fell pregnant and did not use antiretroviral treatment transmitted the virus to their babies. The use of antiretroviral therapy was found to be effective however to the extent that the transmission rate dropped to less than two percent. The risk of transmission from mother to child is also increased if the mother has reached the advanced stage of HIV infection known as AIDS as there are far more pathogens in her blood stream and thus the possibility of the virus being transmitted via the placenta is greatly increased. Mother to child transmission is not only a risk while the child is in the womb however, it is also possible for the virus to be transmitted through breastfeeding.
In summary, women have a lot more to consider if they are HIV positive or are sexually active. Their risk for infection is a little higher than the risk that men face. They also stand the chance of infecting their unborn child or infant though this risk is greatly decreased if antiretroviral therapy is started early on in the pregnancy. Women also face more complications than men do simply as a result of their differing physiology.
