Today is World AIDS Day, and also an important part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence.
Though in the U.S. men who have sex with men are still at the highest risk of contracting HIV, worldwide two-thirds of those infected with HIV/AIDS contracted the disease through heterosexual sex. That means that HIV/AIDS is now a feminist issue in more ways than just support for our allies; 50% of those infected with HIV/AIDS worldwide are women, and three-quarters of those women live in sub-Saharan Africa.
For unfortunate biological reasons, women are twice as likely to contract HIV through heterosexual contact than men are (see previous fact sheet). And for unfortunate social reasons, one in three women worldwide are sexually assaulted in their lifetimes. Women are therefore particularly vulnerable to HIV transmission in ways that they cannot control, and infection rates should be considered a symptom of violence against women.
Because sexual violence is such a complex and expansive issue and such a difficult problem to combat, female-controlled HIV prevention methods are absolutely critical. That’s why the failure of the diaphragm experiment was so devastating. The new female condom is facing financial setbacks which are imperative to resolve, but it still cannot be used without cooperation from a partner. Many women cannot get such cooperation or even risk violence for trying. The most recent experiments involve gels thought to kill the virus in the vagina, but those results cannot be expected for a few years.
This is yet another reason why the Bush Administration’s irresponsible and ideological policies regarding AIDS in Africa are killing women. In abandoning the C in the ABC approach (abstinence, be faithful, condoms), sex education is also being abandoned. The same avenues through which condom use is taught can be used have frank discussions about sex and to help shape attitudes regarding consent, healthy sexuality and female sexual rights. There are also educational programs that have been shown to reduce rates of violence against women, but they lack support and funding. Our government is responsible for that and for shutting down previously established relationships and means of communication.
For more information about why we need to stop the violence if we’re going to stop the AIDS epidemic, check out the Global AIDS Alliance.
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