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About the kit
Why is HIV a gender issue
Basic facts
Facts - Cambodia
Facts - China and Myanmar
Facts - Thailand
Facts - Vietnam, and other countries
Facts - Special Focus: Papua New Guinea
HIV: a woman's human rights issue
What is vulnerability to HIV
Mobility, gender and HIV
Mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS
Men's role in the fight against HIV/AIDS
HIV, Women and Peace
What is being, or needs to be, done
Resources
Credits
About the kit |
Basic
Facts About HIV/AIDS
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How AIDS is transmitted
Its
sole means of transmission is the exchange of bodily fluids
with an infected person:
Sexual: vaginal, oral or
anal intercourse without condom protection;
Injecting drug use or blood
transfusion: infected blood or blood products, or
by skin piercing instruments like needles and syringes;
Mother-to-child transmission:
from an infected mother to her unborn child during
pregnancy, delivery or through breastfeeding.
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AIDS can NOT be transmitted by:
Coughing or sneezing
Insect bites
Touching or hugging
Water or food
Handshakes
Using telephones
Public baths
Swimming pools
Sharing cups, glasses, plates, and other utensils. |
THE
FACTS
- At the beginning
of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980's women rarely figured among
the people infected. In 2000, 5.3 million people were living
with HIV/AIDS; 2.2 million were women.
[i]
- More than half
the 2.1 million people who died of AIDS in 1999 were women, and
30% of adult infections in Southeast
Asia are in women. [ii]
- In Southeast
Asia, the ratio of HIV infected men to women is three to two,
and moving towards 1:1.
[iii]
- Between 80-90% of
HIV infections in the region are transmitted through
heterosexual contact.
[iv]
- During
unprotected vaginal intercourse, an HIV-positive man is
at least twice as likely to
transmit the virus to an uninfected woman as an HIV-positive
woman is to infect her male partner.
- The majority of
infected women are of child-bearing age,
leading to the possibility of perinatal HIV transmission. Of the
half million infections in children (under 15), most have been
transmitted from mother to child.
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How
AIDS is caused
Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the
Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV). This virus gradually
breaks down the body's natural defence mechanism leaving it
prey to disease and unable to fight off other infections. Each
infection leaves the person weakened and more susceptible to
fresh infections, leading eventually to death. There is as yet
no known cure or preventive vaccine. |
[i] UNAIDS figures
from Dec 2000. Global estimate.
[ii] All figures on
this page take from WHO (2000): Fact Sheet 242: "Women and AIDS"
unless otherwise stated
[iii] UNAIDS Fact
Sheet
[iv] WHO (1998):
"Gender and Health: Technical Paper"
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