National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day - March 10
Every year on March 10 — and throughout the month of March — local, state, federal, and national organizations come together to shed light on the impact of HIV and AIDS on women and girls and show support for those at risk of and living with HIV. This year marks the 17th annual observance of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD).
Several organizations and institutions are striving to make progress towards eliminating HIV and AIDS in the U.S., but women continue to remain vulnerable to infection — especially black or African-American and Hispanic women. Black women accounted for the largest share of new HIV diagnoses among women in the U.S. in 2018. Poverty, stigma, medical mistrust, and fear of discrimination remain factors that prevent some women from getting tested, seeking care, or reaching out for support.
An estimated 14% of transgender women have HIV. According to the new National HIV/AIDS Strategy, an estimated 44% of Black transgender women, 26% of Latina transgender women, and 7% of White transgender women have HIV. Transgender women experience stigma and discrimination and often encounter healthcare providers or clinics lacking knowledge of transgender issues or proper inclusive language. These all pose obstacles to HIV testing, prevention, and care that can be addressed among transgender women.
Collectively, we can work to eliminate these statistics.
The theme for NWGHAAD 2022 is: Prevention and Testing at Every Age. Care and Treatment at Every Stage. This year’s theme focuses on prevention of new HIV infections, increased testing, and better care for individuals living with HIV. By working together, we can help eliminate HIV and improve the quality of treatment and care for people currently living with HIV.
Women and HIV
One in four people living with HIV in the United States is a woman. Women of all ages, races, and ethnicities can get HIV, but some women are more at risk than others.
All women can get HIV, but your risk for getting HIV is higher if you:
- Have unprotected sex
- Have injected illegal drugs, either now or in the past
- Had sex with someone to get money or drugs in return or with someone who has traded sex for money or drugs
- Had sex with someone who
- Has HIV
- Has sex with both men and women
- Injects drugs
- Have another sexually transmitted infection (STI)
- Had a blood transfusion between 1978 and 1985
In the United States, most women get HIV from having sex with a man.
Women are more likely than men to get HIV during vaginal sex because:
- The vagina has a larger surface area (compared with the penis) that can be exposed to HIV-infected semen.
- Semen can stay in your vagina for several days after sex. This means you are exposed to the virus longer.
- Having a vaginal yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis, or an untreated sexually transmitted infection (STI) makes HIV transmission more likely. This is because the yeast or bacterial infection or STI brings white blood cells (and therefore CD4 cells that can be infected with HIV) into the vaginal area. Small cuts on the skin of your vagina (common with genital ulcers from herpes or syphilis) are hard to notice but may allow HIV to pass into your body.
As a woman, you are more likely to get HIV during vaginal sex when:
- You are unaware of your partner's risk factors for HIV. Some men, for example, have sex with men as well as women but do not tell their female partners.
- Your male partner was recently infected. During this time, the amount of HIV in his semen is higher. Exposure during early infection may cause up to half of all HIV transmissions in the United States.2, 4
- Your partners do not use male latex condoms or you do not use female condoms correctly every time you have sex.
- You have a history of sexual abuse, which can lead to riskier future behavior.
- You have sex with multiple partners or have sex with someone who is having sex with multiple partners.
- You have sex in exchange for money or drugs.
- You misuse drugs or alcohol before or during sex.
Women who use injection drugs or share needles or syringes and other injection equipment are at high risk for HIV. In fact, sharing needles is the second most common way that HIV is spread. (Sex is the most common way that HIV is spread.) Use of injected drugs also raises your risk for risky behaviors, such as not using a condom during sex. In a study of U.S. cities with high levels of HIV, 72% of women who injected drugs reported having sex without a condom in the past year.
Women who have sex only with women might think they are safe from HIV. This type of HIV transmission is rare. If you are a woman and your female partner has HIV, you can get it if you have cuts, bleeding gums, or sores in your mouth and you give oral sex. It is also possible to spread HIV through menstrual blood and shared sex toys.
As a woman who has sex with women, it is also possible to get HIV if:
- You inject or your partner injects drugs with someone who has HIV
- You have or your partner has sex with a man who has HIV
- You are trying to get pregnant and use semen that has not been tested for HIV or sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
Lower your risk of getting HIV or passing it to your partner:
- Know your HIV status and your partner's HIV status.
- Take steps to protect yourself and others from HIV.
- Use latex condoms correctly and every time if you have sex with men.
- Use dental dams correctly.
- Never share sex toys.
Young women are also at risk. According to a 2013 survey, only half of the female high school students used a condom the last time they had sex. Only one in eight female high school students in the study had ever been tested for HIV.
Younger women are more likely to have a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Having an untreated STI makes HIV transmission more likely. An untreated vaginal yeast or bacterial infection can also increase the risk of transmission. This is because the infection brings white blood cells (and therefore CD4 cells that can be infected with HIV) into the area. This is especially true for women, because small cuts on the skin of the vagina are hard to notice but may allow HIV to pass into your body.
Teen girls and younger women are at higher risk for HIV infection than adult women because their reproductive tract is still developing.
Women over 50 are still at risk for HIV. Older women are more likely than younger women to be diagnosed with HIV much later after they are first infected. This may be because older women may think they do not need condoms, because they do not worry about getting pregnant. They may not talk about safe sex with their doctors or partner or get tested regularly for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Their doctors may also not suspect their symptoms could be caused by HIV.
A later diagnosis can mean a later start to treatment and possibly more damage to your immune system. It can also raise the risk of spreading HIV to other people. You can get HIV at any age. In fact, the decrease in hormone levels during and after menopause means your vagina will probably not be as lubricated (wet) as it used to be. This means that you have a greater risk for tiny cuts in your vagina during sex that can make it easier for HIV to get in.
Women of color, especially African-American and Hispanic women, are disproportionately affected by HIV.
- African-American women made up more than 61% of new HIV infections among women in 2015 but are only 14% of the female population in the United States.11, 12 African-American women face the highest risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) compared with women of other groups.13 However, many African-American women do not know their HIV status. Poverty, stigma, and fear of discrimination may prevent women from getting tested or seeking care if infected.
- Hispanic women made up 15% of new HIV infections among women in 2015.11 Cultural challenges may raise Hispanic women's risk for HIV. Hispanic women may avoid seeking testing, counseling, or treatment if infected because of their immigration status, stigma, or fear of discrimination. Poverty may also prevent Hispanic women from getting care.
What Every Woman Needs to Know about HIV and AIDS
Though HIV diagnoses among women have declined in recent years, more than 7,000 women were diagnosed with HIV at the end of 2018. The majority of those new diagnoses were among women ages 20-39. This National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, here are some facts that you should know about HIV/AIDS.
- Any woman who has sex is at risk of HIV infection, no matter what her race, ethnicity, age, or sexual orientation is. Protect yourself and your partner every time. Use a condom.
- Women are more likely to get HIV during vaginal sex because the vagina has a larger area that can be exposed to HIV-infected semen. Also, semen can stay in the vagina for several days after sex, which means a longer exposure time for women. And, having untreated sexually transmitted infections (STIs) makes it more likely that a person will get HIV if they're exposed to it.
- The only way to know for sure whether you have HIV is to get tested. Talk to your partner about their sexual past and get tested together.
- Most private insurance plans must cover HIV testing at no cost to you. Medicare and Medicaid often cover HIV testing but you might have a copay, coinsurance, or deductible. Call your health insurance plan to learn more.
- If you chose to have sex, there are many ways to prevent HIV, such as using a male or female condom; being in a monogamous sexual relationship with only one partner who is also faithful to you; not misusing alcohol or drugs, which is linked to sexual risk-taking; and getting tested for STIs.
- If you do not have HIV and your partner does, talk to your doctor about taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP is a daily pill that can lower your risk of getting HIV. Daily PrEP can reduce the risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90%. Or if you think you may have been exposed to HIV, visit a doctor right away. For people who have a one-time risk of exposure to HIV, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) might be an option. PEP is an anti-HIV medicine that you can take within 72 hours of possible exposure to HIV to lower your chances of getting HIV.
- Even if she knows her status, some women with HIV postpone medical care because of fears of rejection by family, violence from a partner, or feelings of depression. Medical care can help you live a long life. If you need help for violence or abuse, call the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
- If you are pregnant and living with HIV, you can take HIV medicine and work with a doctor to stay healthy. If you take medicine, the risk of passing HIV to your baby is less than 1%.
- Never share needles, syringes, or other injection equipment. Sharing equipment puts you at high risk of HIV infection.
- A woman living with HIV or AIDS needs support, family, friends, and fun. We can all help fight stigma by making sure people know you can't get HIV from things like the air, toilet seats, or hugs.
- If you are living with HIV, taking your medicine daily as prescribed, can lower your viral load and lower the chance of passing HIV through sex to an HIV-negative partner.
- If you and your partner are both living with HIV, you can both take HIV medicines from your doctor to live a healthy life.
Ideas for Observing National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
NWGHAAD is a day to mobilize partners, supporters, and communities across the United States to share information and empower women and girls to learn more about the importance of HIV and AIDS prevention, care, and treatment.
Organizing an activity in your community shows that you support all women and girls impacted by HIV and AIDS!
Virtual Walk
Organize a walk by encouraging your family, friends, and neighbors to walk or run in support of NWGHAAD. Challenge them to 17 minutes of walking, running, or exercise reps on March 10 in recognition of the 17 years the Office on Women’s Health has hosted NWGHAAD! Remember to wear your mask and practice your local guidelines around social distancing to prevent COVID infection.
Online Art gallery or art show
Organize an event that features art focused on HIV and AIDS education and prevention among women and girls.
This is a great activity for students, so if you're not part of an academic organization, consider partnering with a high school or college for this type of event. Encourage artists on campus and in the community to create artwork focused on HIV and AIDS. Preview the artwork before the show and ask several artists to discuss their artwork at the show. They can discuss why they were inspired to create the piece and how HIV and AIDS has affected them or their community.
Virtual Candlelight Vigil
Hold an online candlelight vigil to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS and to recognize women and girls who have been impacted by the disease.
Invite your community to honor the local women and girls who have been impacted by HIV and AIDS. Your event can include a speaker to help start a discussion about how to take action against HIV and AIDS or to share their personal story. You can also invite local artists to share their work related to HIV and AIDS or ask artists to create something for the event.
Documentary Night
Host an online screening of a documentary that highlights the reality of HIV and AIDS.
Ask local movie theaters, independent theaters, community centers, or schools to donate space/equipment for your event and select a movie. Engage the audience in a discussion about HIV and AIDS after the screening. Be prepared with some discussion questions to help the audience reflect on how the movie affected them, changed their thinking, or educated them. It is a good idea to engage a health care provider from your local hospital or health clinic to help lead the discussion.
HIV Testing
Offer free HIV testing at your clinic, college, or other location.
If your organization offers HIV testing, consider waiving the fee in honor of NWGHAAD and offering counseling. If you already offer free testing, you could offer extended hours or other giveaways in support of NWGHAAD. If you don't offer HIV testing, partner with someone in your community who does. Enter your zip code into the HIV testing location finder.
Consider forming partnerships with organizations in your community to help support your NWGHAAD events and activities. Developing partnerships allows you to:
- Share resources
- Reduce stigma of HIV and AIDS
- Increase visibility of your event/activity and your organization
- Reach more women and girls in your community
- Have a greater impact on women's and girls' health
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