On a lighter note, just before I came downstairs I tried to add milk to my salad instead of my coffee - but before I sneak a nap:
As a Canadian woman, this post is about women in Canada and AIDS in reponse to World Aids Day today. While the numbers are different, I think the quotes in bold below can be applied to women all over the world.
Rather than ranting I am just going to state the facts:
The following thoughts for today are quotes from the Canadian Aids Society and The Public Health Agency of Canada:
There is a growing number of HIV infections among women.
There are approximately 58,000 individuals in Canada with HIV infections. Of them:
Estimations that at the end of 2005, people who use injection drugs comprised 17 percent of the total and women represented 20 percent.
In 2005 women were estimated to account for 27% of all new HIV infections, an increase from 24% estimated in 2002.
In 2006 women accounted for 28% of positive HIV test reports.
Women are more vulnerable to HIV infection than men.
Biologically, women are 2 - 4 times more vulnerable than men.
The economic, social, and physical power imbalance between men and women make it difficult for many women to negotiate safer sex.
- tendency to associate non-condom use with loyalty, trust, or love.
- women who are economically dependent on men are less likely to have access to condoms
- low self esteem limits a woman’s ability to insist on condom use
The inability for women in Canada (and all over the world) to protect themselves from AIDs is “an invisible and deadly form of violence against women”.
*note - quote directly above refers to women in abusive relationships but I think it can be used to describe the entire situation.
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ad to that the belief in some African countries that having sex with a virgin can cure AIDS, women and children are being raped by HIV infected men. Pretty scary stuff. Good focus to your article.
appreciate your comments. The number of women getting infected in Washington, DC is insane.
“The economic, social, and physical power imbalance between men and women make it difficult for many women to negotiate safer sex.”
Horrible that it is still this way in this day and age.
Great post. The magnitude of HIV/AIDS in Africa and Asia can lead us to overlook the issue in our own nations. Thanks for an interesting post.
I do hope that we can reduce the AIDS stigma. From there we will have more hopes to reduce the barrier to AIDS prevention and care.
Regards,
JJ
Continuing the Discussion