National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

http://www.feministing.com/archives/014142.html

Today the Gay Men's Health Crisis, the Women's HIV Collaborative of NY, along with other HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention groups in NY will be marching on the steps of city hall to raise awareness for the alarming rate at which young women are being infected with HIV. One of their demands is increased education around issues of HIV and AIDs.

Why is this an important issue? The Women's HIV Collaborative blog tells us.

Here in the United States, women comprise about 27% of HIV infections, up from about 8% in 1984. In many countries around the world, women already represent over 50% of HIV infections. Rates of sexually transmitted infections among youth and teenage pregnancy have risen over the last several years - both indicators that we may soon see a corresponding rise in HIV infections among both young women and men. And, although generally considered a chronic manageable condition in the U.S., HIV continues to be the leading cause of death among African American women aged 25 to 34 years old.
Yet most of the general public in the U.S. think of HIV as a men's disease and some members of the HIV advocacy/policy community have gone so far as to say "HIV/AIDS in this country is a men's disease".


If you are in NY the march is today at 1 pm. More specific info can be found here.

If you are not in NY but know of other events please put them in comments.

And the infection rate approaches 60%.