HIV Advocates Urge Women To Make Fight Against HIV A Personal Commitment

HIV is still a huge issue for women. The numbers are still frightening - women still account for 20 percent of all new HIV infections while African-American women account for roughly two thirds of this population. Although the overall number of HIV infections is down, what’s alarming is that a staggering 84 percent of new female HIV infections are actually attributed to heterosexual sex. This is a statistic that everyone should be aware of and should know how to properly address.

This is also the very statistic that drives HIV Advocates to urge women to continue the fight against HIV. In fact, the group urges women to make the fight a part of their personal, individual commitment. Women should not only discuss these alarming facts among friends and family, they should also advocate governments to listen up and take notice.

Dr. Susan Blumenthal, amfAR Senior Policy and Medical Advisor, has said it: the key to reducing HIV infections among women is advocating for healthcare public policy changes. This means that unless people remain uninsured, unaware of the risks and unable to receive proper HIV care, then the figures will rise.

According to Dr. Blumenthal, among the public policy changes “are ensuring women are adequately represented in clinical trial research; developing prevention technologies specifically for women; doing interventions for women facing HIV as a result of violence; increasing access to women's reproductive healthcare; and advocating for Medicaid expansions.”

The challenge now is: how do you get involved in the fight? Simple: join HIV Advocates, a global initiative to share news, experiences, strategies as well as new tools that aim to energize human rights movements and communities fighting HIV/AIDS.

Join HIV Advocates today and be an ally in the fight against the disease.

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HIV Advocates Reiterates The Need To Get Tested

If there is one thing that people should never ever think of is that it is next to impossible for them to get infected with HIV. Truth is, even people in their 60’s still get infected.

Take the case of Jo Josh, a 66 year old woman who lives in Reigate and who has a 25 year old daughter. She is a woman living with HIV. The news first came as a shock to her and it took her years to learn how to deal with the reality of it all. Another case is that of Wales resident 58 year old Steve Craftman. He was diagnosed in 1987. In his own words, “I have done a lot of grieving.” He and his partner had to move to a tiny town just to escape the threats and abuse. A third example is 33 year old Lizzie Jordan. The mother of a 10 year old lost her partner, who also happened to be the father of her child, on the fourth day since he came home feeling unwell.

HIV truly does not choose its victims. Practically everyone is vulnerable to it, to its risks and even to the effects of living with it. People living with HIV oftentimes do not know that they carry the disease. They are also subjected to societal violence, stigma and abuse.

These are the issues and concerns that HIV Advocates want to bring people’s attention to. It is high time for everyone to get tested. Before you think that there is virtually no way for you to get infected, get tested!

Join HIV Advocates today and be an ally in the fight against the disease.

HIV Advocates, an initiative supported by Levi Strauss Foundation and powered by B-Change Foundation, encourages members of the LGBT community to speak up by exploring the power of social media. Through the HIV Advocates’ online channels, the LGBT community and other stakeholders can start conversations, spark the interest of the public, come up with various plans of action and continue with information dissemination to fight HIV and the stigma that comes with it.

Like HIV Advocates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HIVadvocates  

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/HIVadvocates

Follow us on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/hivadvocates/  

Or Join us on Sina Weibo: http://weibo.com/hivadvocates

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