HIV: Knowledge and Altitudes of Women

BBC news (2012) states, “Iran's HIV epidemic is concentrated among the country's intravenous drug users and prisoners, but Aids experts warn that the virus will spread more widely if the country does not focus more on high-risk sexual behaviors, like unprotected sex and prostitution.” HIV which turns to AIDS in later years is contracted through sexual, perinatal, or blood exchanges and cannot be cured since it lowers a person’s white cell count that protect against immunity. BBC also points out that, “Unfortunately they don't know how to protect themselves,” from HIV. Therefore, education is a primary key in young women and fighting social stigma associated with the disease. Iran is a conservative county, so discussion about sexual intercourse or drug interventions are limited due to the stigma from religious and private sectors. Setting up HIV health centers designed for women who desire or require screenings, education conferences, and access to condom use will “wake-up” the population and make this prevention a

15. Women and HIV related MDGs, its target and impact of HIV to achieve the target

The target groups that are most affected include orphan children, young women and girls, prison staff and inmates and men who have sex with men. HIV and AIDS in Lesotho extremely affect women. Violence based on gender is found to be one the most significant reasons as to why there is such an increase of HIV/AIDS among women in our country. We do know that our society is generally male-controlled, so often women may not refuse sex with their significant other. In cases where women choose to refuse sex in our country, it may result in our women being brutally beaten or threatened. Women in our country who choose not to refuse sex increases susceptibility to sexual violence and increase the risk for HIV/AIDS. The next affected population is the young people of our community. This target population suffers from a lack of knowledge concerning safer sex practices. It is also important to consider that the younger generations in our community are engaging in sex at earlier with lack awareness about safe sex. Additionally, the increase spread if HIV/AIDS forces children into orphanages and pushes children in our community to become caregivers of older generations. As a result, education for children in our population begins to suffer dramatically. Since education of the younger generation is taking an intense blow, it leads to an increase in poverty levels. Mother-to-child transmission is another risk factor that

19:1 in the United States and Europe; emphasis has been placed on sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (Hrdy,1987). Factors thought to influence this sexual transmission include promiscuity, and sexual practices that have been associated with increased risk of transmission of AIDS virus from male to female and from mother to babies (Hrdy,1987). In Africa, promiscuity seems to be the most important cultural factor contributing to the transmission of HIV. For example, Olivia had been sexually abused and has contracted AIDS earlier in her life. Whereas social and cultural factors are the direct cause for the transmission of HIV from pregnant women to babies in India because women would rather have babies with HIV than to be homeless, beaten or abandon if they don’t conceive children (Bilheimer,

Altschuler and Katz seek to identify the reasons why adults over 50 are not aware of prevention methods of HIV/AIDS. The study used a random sample of 52 adults, over the age of 50. The sample

Sexual crimes, rape, and prostitution are the contributors who can easily transmit this deadly disease, as HIV/AIDS is a sexually transmitted disease. U.N. agency reports that one in five deaths among women between the ages of 15 and 44 is linked to unsafe sex (3). In many male-dominated societies, women are

In 2010 the awareness of HIV infection was higher in women of 13 years and older than the men. Women consisted of 87.8 percent as the men consisted of 83.0 percent. Overall Healthy People 2020 Targets of the reproductive health services and awareness of HIV infection had both increased needed to reach their target. Within the reproductive health services 78.6 percent was between 2006 and 2010; thus the target for 2020 is 86.5 percent. This would be a 10.1 percent increase needed for the reproductive health services. Whereas within the awareness of HIV infection 84.2 percent was in 2010; thus the target for 2020 is 90.0 percent. This would be a 6.9 percent increase needed for the awareness of HIV infection (Healthy People 2020 Leading Health Indicators: Reproductive and Sexual Health,

The HIV and AIDS pandemic remains one the most serious development crises in the world (WHO, 2006). Women and children bear a disproportionate share of the burden, and in many settings continue to experience high rates of new HIV infections and of HIV-related illness and death. In 2005 alone, an estimated 540 000 children were newly infected with HIV, with about

There are Health disparities in Botswana and the United States. The lack of information and misinformation about reproductive health has caused issues with women and their health. The main issue that was found was the prevalence in of STI’s, especially HIV. It is continuing to increase in the number of people infected. The purpose of the paper is to explore some reasons why the issues are continuing to arise and also suggestions on how to combat them. Through research it was found that many social aspects could be correlated to the overall reason of not being sexually healthy. This paper will start with giving general statistics that will describe each population, followed by some key issues found in the research and conclude

are looking at it from another angle: how does being HIV positive put women at risk

Almost twenty-five years ago, if someone had heard the words HIV/AIDS, it would have stirred up feeling of dreads. One could not imagine that someone who is coping with the disease would be their friend or someone that would get invited to spend the night because of the fear of this visitor coughing on, or sneezing near them. The objective is to look at the physiological and social aspect concerning this disease process that those with the disease encounter and what has society done to Educate people about the disease. An estimated 44,073 was diagnosed with HIV in 2014 and 1 out of 8 is living with it and is unaware. The global HIV/AIDS epidemic has killed an estimated 21.8 million people and another 36.1 million are living with HIV infection.

Women, especially those in sex work or those who use drugs, are vulnerable for acquiring HIV/AIDS, and risk passing on the virus to their children through mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) (Beard et al. 2010). The stigma doesn’t only affect women who use drugs or are sex workers, but it affects women worldwide who fear the discrimination they will face, not only from the community, but also from their families, if they are HIV-positive (UNAIDS, 2007). It is for this reason that women do not get tested, do not get treated, do not take preventative measures, and especially breastfeed their children because they fear that if someone were to see them feeding their children with formula, they would be suspected of having HIV/AIDS and fear the discrimination that would follow (Rankin et al., 2005). Not only does stigma act as a barrier to many services, it also inflicts negative psychological feelings and psychosocial effect for those who are, directly or indirectly, affected by HIV/AIDS (Lin et al., 2010).

When AIDS made its debut in the early 80s, societies branded it as a disease that infected homosexuals and/or IV drug abusers. People often confused HIV with AIDS. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that infects a person, and if left untreated leads to the fatal disease AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). However, over the last 35 years, we have learned that, in reality, AIDS does not discriminate against sexual orientation, drug addictions, race, age or any other factor; however, it victimizes one gender more often than the other. Researchers prove that, on a global scale, women are more susceptible to contracting HIV/AIDS than are men. Both statistically and logically, women experience higher incidences of HIV exposure than men for multiple reasons. Women engage in sex work more often than men, they also experience a higher rate of sexual violence, and simply by being the inferior partner in a domestically abusive relationship. Understanding how gender increases the HIV risk of women is crucial to winning the fight against HIV/AIDS. Women are the center of societies everywhere; therefore, it is urgent that nations stand together to educate and rid women, worldwide, of this infectious life-threatening disease.

The number of women contracting HIV is on the rise. They account for 50% of all projected HIV infections throughout the world each year (Gurung, 2014). Inner-city minority adolescent girls are at an increased risk of obtaining sexually transmitted HIV, and evidence portrays HIV infections are growing in this population (Fisher, Fisher, Bryan & Misovich, 2002). It is imperative to address the culture surrounding these young women and noticing what puts them at risk; a targeted intervention, and a sustainable intervention is needed to reduce the number of women contracting HIV.

The women health is a subject of global interest. People and organizations round the world have realized that the health of a woman means the health of a family. Thus efforts are made to make policy regarding women and HIV/AIDS. A prior paper in this regard has discussed formulation, legislation and implementation of the policy and this is a sequel discussing the evaluation, analysis and revision stags of the policy making in this particular issue. As a quick flash back, policy process is about the specific decisions and events necessary to occur for policy proposal, consideration and implementation (What is Policy, 2013). An effective policy evaluated, assessed and analyzed to ensure that it works best.