Guest guest Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 New Delhi (Nov 23, 2004) : Women are getting increasingly infected with HIV, due to early marriages, socio-economic discrimination and sexual violence, said the world AIDS epidemic update released by the UNAIDS here Tuesday. According to the report, updated annually, of the total 37.2 million adults (aged 15-49) living with HIV/AIDS, around 17.6 million (47.3 percent) are women, up from 41 percent in 1998. Among the 4.9 million people who were newly infected during this year, 2.3 million were women. This trend, the report said, is especially severe in East Asia which saw 56 percent increase in women's infection rate over the past two years, followed by Eastern Europe and Central Asia, which recorded 48 percent each. "Although the condition in countries like India is not as bad as that of East and Central Asia and East Europe, there is no arguing that the rate of women's infection is rising significantly in all pats of the world without exception," said Poornima Mane, director of UNAIDS' Social Mobilisation and Information at Geneva. "And what is even more stark, is that the infection is particularly high in younger women. Besides, even those women with low risk behaviour, are seen infected. Many of them marry young and remain faithful to their spouse but they usually marry older men," she said. The National AIDS Control Organisation places the percentage of women with HIV in India at 36.94. According to the UNAIDS report, in India, "serious epidemics are underway in several states". An HIV prevalence of 50 percent has been found among sex workers in Tamil Nadu. In states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Nagaland, the HIV prevalence among pregnant women has crossed one percent mark, the report said. In Manipur, where the epidemic is mainly caused by drug use, HIV prevalence among pregnant women has risen from one percent to five percent, many women testing positive having had sex partners using drugs. The new report pegs the number of people living with HIV globally at 39.4 million, of which 17.6 million infected are women, and 2.2 million children under the age of 15. For the World AIDS Day, celebrated on Dec 1 every year, the UN has selected "Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS" as its theme this year, to concentrate on reducing the infection among women through social and economic empowerment. According to the UNAIDS report, sub-Saharan Africa records the largest percentage of women living with HIV -- 60 percent. Among the young people aged between 15-24 living with HIV there, 76 percent are women. In Russia, which has the biggest epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 38 percent of the people living with HIV/AIDS are women, compared to 24 percent in 2001. In the US, AIDS ranked among the top three causes of death for African American women aged 35-44 years. "Earlier, it was a very small group of women who were infected. And now with the present upsurge, even the existing response does not work, because women cannot force the man to wear condoms," Mane said. "Women are usually faithful. They usually get the infection from their husband and they are usually not in a position to abstain from intercourse," she said. Source: Indo-Asian News Service URL: http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php? action=fullnews&id=44201 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 24, 2004 Report Share Posted November 24, 2004 I would like to thank Devi Bhakta for this information. Can we use also this mean to discuss the spread of HIV/AIDS in the world and now especially in ASIA, Sub- Saharan Africa is already destroyed. When I hear that people are so tempted to use drugs when doing bhakti and of course having the intention of promiscuity, be aware of what can get you. If you can not abstain, use precautions. Do not demonstrate risky behaviour. How can Devi - spirituality help us in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Who has an answer. MM --- Devi Bhakta <devi_bhakta wrote: > > New Delhi (Nov 23, 2004) : Women are getting > increasingly infected > with HIV, due to early marriages, socio-economic > discrimination and > sexual violence, said the world AIDS epidemic update > released by the > UNAIDS here Tuesday. > > According to the report, updated annually, of the > total 37.2 million > adults (aged 15-49) living with HIV/AIDS, around > 17.6 million (47.3 > percent) are women, up from 41 percent in 1998. > > Among the 4.9 million people who were newly infected > during this > year, 2.3 million were women. > > This trend, the report said, is especially severe in > East Asia which > saw 56 percent increase in women's infection rate > over the past two > years, followed by Eastern Europe and Central Asia, > which recorded 48 > percent each. > > "Although the condition in countries like India is > not as bad as that > of East and Central Asia and East Europe, there is > no arguing that > the rate of women's infection is rising > significantly in all pats of > the world without exception," said Poornima Mane, > director of UNAIDS' > Social Mobilisation and Information at Geneva. > > "And what is even more stark, is that the infection > is particularly > high in younger women. Besides, even those women > with low risk > behaviour, are seen infected. Many of them marry > young and remain > faithful to their spouse but they usually marry > older men," she said. > > The National AIDS Control Organisation places the > percentage of women > with HIV in India at 36.94. > > According to the UNAIDS report, in India, "serious > epidemics are > underway in several states". > > An HIV prevalence of 50 percent has been found among > sex workers in > Tamil Nadu. In states such as Andhra Pradesh, > Karnataka, Maharashtra > and Nagaland, the HIV prevalence among pregnant > women has crossed one > percent mark, the report said. > > In Manipur, where the epidemic is mainly caused by > drug use, HIV > prevalence among pregnant women has risen from one > percent to five > percent, many women testing positive having had sex > partners using > drugs. > > The new report pegs the number of people living with > HIV globally at > 39.4 million, of which 17.6 million infected are > women, and 2.2 > million children under the age of 15. > > For the World AIDS Day, celebrated on Dec 1 every > year, the UN has > selected "Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS" as its theme > this year, to > concentrate on reducing the infection among women > through social and > economic empowerment. > > According to the UNAIDS report, sub-Saharan Africa > records the > largest percentage of women living with HIV -- 60 > percent. Among the > young people aged between 15-24 living with HIV > there, 76 percent are > women. > > In Russia, which has the biggest epidemic in Eastern > Europe and > Central Asia, 38 percent of the people living with > HIV/AIDS are > women, compared to 24 percent in 2001. In the US, > AIDS ranked among > the top three causes of death for African American > women aged 35-44 > years. > > "Earlier, it was a very small group of women who > were infected. And > now with the present upsurge, even the existing > response does not > work, because women cannot force the man to wear > condoms," Mane said. > > "Women are usually faithful. They usually get the > infection from > their husband and they are usually not in a position > to abstain from > intercourse," she said. > > Source: Indo-Asian News Service > URL: > http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php? > action=fullnews&id=44201 > > > > > The all-new My - Get yours free! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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