HIV/AIDS and the American Woman

The face of the HIV/AIDS pandemic is a woman. The vast majority of the faces are women of color. In the United States, women of color are at the highest risk for HIV/AIDS. And although impacted at lower rates, white women are nonetheless at risk, too.

According to the CDC, "of 9,708 women diagnosed in 2005, seventeen percent of them were U.S. white women, based on data from 33 states with long-term confidential name based HIV reporting." Indeed, given the impact the disease has on all American women, it is an issue that goes grossly underreported.

HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death for black women (including African American women) aged 25 to 34. And, for all women, and all ethnicities and races, the largest number of HIV/AIDS diagnoses during recent years was for women aged 15-39.

For most women living with HIV/AIDS, the challenge is the layers of racial and gender inequity that exists in our systems and communities.

Over the next few weeks view the faces of the women, their voices and their stories, as well as what is being done around the country and the globe, to support them.

My goal and hope is to raise awareness and create ongoing dialogue that will educate and inspire us all to action.

Please share your comments and thoughts.