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March 10 is National Women and Girls HIV / Aids Awareness Day
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March 10 is National Women and Girls HIV / AIDS Awareness Day 2010.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2007 more than 25% of new HIV diagnoses were in women or girls age 13 and older. Of those living with HIV, more than one in five does not know she has the infection.
More than 80 percent of women get the infection from sex with an infected male partner. Women should try to learn their partner's HIV status so that they can help protect themselves from the virus.
Women who are pregnant should especially take care to receive early diagnosis as well as early prenatal care to avoid passing the HIV infection on to the unborn baby.
Parents of girls should take care to mention sexually transmitted infections such as HIV when educating their children about sex. Providing girls with this information before they are sexually active can help preven them from a lifetime of health problems.
Understanding the risk factors for infection with HIV as well as the ways to avoid risky behaviors can help to decrease the rate of HIV infection among women and girls.
Columbus residents interested in HIV testing can get more information from Columbus Public Health.
More information on National Women and Girls HIV / AIDS Awareness Day can be found at the Centers for Disease Control.
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