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HIV's effect on women is growing, and women and girls should all take note, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The department has designated Monday as National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in an effort to bring to the forefront the increasing impact HIV/AIDS is having on women.
"Women, over the years, have become increasingly affected by HIV because the numbers are going up," said Susan Goodman, community outreach coordinator at the Central Health Center.
In 2005, women accounted for 26 percent of the 45,699 new AIDS diagnoses.
That compares to 11 percent of the total new diagnoses in 1990, Goodman said. Of those women living with HIV/AIDS in 2005, 72 percent were infected through heterosexual contact, while 26 percent were infected through injection drug use.
HIV, which stands for human immunodeficiency virus, attacks the immune system and can lead to AIDS.
The virus is a health concern that is of especially increasing significance to black and Hispanic women, said Heather Younger, HIV counseling and testing program manager for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
In 2005, HIV was the third-leading cause of death for black women ages 25-44, and the fourth-leading cause of death for Hispanic women ages 35-55, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of all the new AIDS cases in American women that year, an estimated 82 percent were in black and Hispanic women.
Women and girls are encouraged to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS by getting tested for HIV if they are between the ages of 13 and 64 and have not already done so.
Getting tested is especially important for women who are pregnant, as a woman can spread HIV to her child during pregnancy, delivery or breast-feeding, according to the CDC. Through early detection, women can be put on treatment that can prevent HIV transmission from mothers to babies.
State health and human services officials also encourage women and girls to do the following to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS:
Practice appropriate safety measures to prevent exposure to HIV.
Decide not to engage in high-risk behaviors.
Talk about HIV prevention with family, friends and colleagues.
Provide support to those living with HIV/AIDS.
For more information, or to find an HIV testing location, call (877) 782-2437, or visit www.nebraskaHIVtesting.org/.
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