HIV/AIDS cases rise for women
By: Amber Mayes
Issue date: 11/16/09 Section: News
According to the World Health Organization, AIDS is the leading cause of death among women between the ages of 15 and 44.
Originally, health officials thought HIV and AIDS mostly affected homosexual men. However, women have always suffered from the disease, too. A 2006 Centers for Disease Control report stated that young adults aged 13 to 29 accounted for the largest number of new HIV infections in the United States. Even though more men have HIV than women, women are catching up.
In fact, according to the CDC, if new HIV/AIDS infections continue at their current rate worldwide, women with HIV/AIDS may soon outnumber men.
"It's scary to know how young women are affected by this virus," PUC student Brittany Shepherd said. "No one ever thinks that HIV or AIDS can happen to them, but obviously it does."
Many people don't know or understand the difference between HIV and AIDS. According the CDC, HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. It is different from every other virus since it attacks the immune system. HIV finds and destroys a type of white blood cell that our immune system must have to fight diseases.
The CDC reports that AIDS is the final stage of HIV, meaning that the virus has weakened the immune system to the point to where it is difficult to fight diseases.
According to a WHO report-after all these years of research and prevention campaigns-the rate of HIV among young women aged 16 to 21 is 50 percent higher than the rate among young men in that age group.
"I can't believe that women are so affected by this virus," PUC student Taylor Mason said. "It just proves that everybody is at risk and everybody needs to protect themselves."
The only way to know if one is infected is to take an HIV test. Symptoms alone cannot warn a person of infection. Many people infected with HIV do not have any symptoms at all for 10 years or more.
If interested in an HIV or AIDS test, the PUC Student Health Services Center offers these services. Appointments can be made with the Health Center for a blood test.
Medical counseling can also be sought with the Health Center or with the PUC Counseling Center after the tests are performed.
The only thing young people can do is protect themselves. The first step in protection is education.
Originally, health officials thought HIV and AIDS mostly affected homosexual men. However, women have always suffered from the disease, too. A 2006 Centers for Disease Control report stated that young adults aged 13 to 29 accounted for the largest number of new HIV infections in the United States. Even though more men have HIV than women, women are catching up.
In fact, according to the CDC, if new HIV/AIDS infections continue at their current rate worldwide, women with HIV/AIDS may soon outnumber men.
"It's scary to know how young women are affected by this virus," PUC student Brittany Shepherd said. "No one ever thinks that HIV or AIDS can happen to them, but obviously it does."
Many people don't know or understand the difference between HIV and AIDS. According the CDC, HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. It is different from every other virus since it attacks the immune system. HIV finds and destroys a type of white blood cell that our immune system must have to fight diseases.
The CDC reports that AIDS is the final stage of HIV, meaning that the virus has weakened the immune system to the point to where it is difficult to fight diseases.
According to a WHO report-after all these years of research and prevention campaigns-the rate of HIV among young women aged 16 to 21 is 50 percent higher than the rate among young men in that age group.
"I can't believe that women are so affected by this virus," PUC student Taylor Mason said. "It just proves that everybody is at risk and everybody needs to protect themselves."
The only way to know if one is infected is to take an HIV test. Symptoms alone cannot warn a person of infection. Many people infected with HIV do not have any symptoms at all for 10 years or more.
If interested in an HIV or AIDS test, the PUC Student Health Services Center offers these services. Appointments can be made with the Health Center for a blood test.
Medical counseling can also be sought with the Health Center or with the PUC Counseling Center after the tests are performed.
The only thing young people can do is protect themselves. The first step in protection is education.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 3
Sean K
posted 11/17/09 @ 4:41 PM CST
This is very interesting. I thought that AIDS does not actually kill the person that is infected. From my understanding (I am a Biology grad student), HIV attacks the immune system, which makes opportunistic infections more able to do serious damage to the host (including death). (Continued…)
Sida
posted 11/23/09 @ 7:10 AM CST
i agree. The first and the most important step in protection is education. With proper education most of the infection cases would be avoided.
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