AF3IRM/GABNet Riverside commemorates World AIDS Day
In Honor of Worlds Aids DAY AF3IRM/GABNET Riverside recognizes the plight of women affected by this disease as many of them struggle, with little hope, to survive. Globally, HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age. An estimated 146,692 (in 2007) women in the US are affected by AIDS. Areas such as the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia have had alarming increases in women affected by AIDS ( numbers that exceed that of men affected by aids ). These women are often victims of sexual violence and rape, in which, a condom is rarely if ever used. This lack of protection increases their possible exposure to HIV…AIDS…and inevitably death.
“‘She died after passing her HIV to her husband’. This is an often-repeated sentence in Zimbabwe. The echoes can be heard in homes in workplaces and in graveyards, at times shrill, at times in a hushed whisper. The tone, though, is always accusatory…The corollary to this statement, i.e. ‘He died after passing HIV to his wife’, is seldom heard” – Madhu Bala Nath36.
(numbers Taken from the Avert website http://www.avert.org/women-hiv-aids.htm)
