Empowering Women in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS
Here’s a guest post from the International Partnership for Microbicides in honor of International Women’s Day.
This week, in observance of International Women’s Day, global leaders and advocates joined the call for equal rights and equal opportunities for all women. Yet, as we celebrate women’s achievements, we must also remember that many challenges still remain and that women’s empowerment can mean the difference between life and death.
Far too many women are still powerless against the threat of HIV, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where women and girls represent about 60% of HIV infections. AIDS is the leading killer of women of reproductive age worldwide. Current HIV prevention strategies such as condoms, although effective, are not practical for women who cannot persuade their husbands or partners to use them, who want children or who are at risk for violence. Women still lack an effective way to protect themselves against HIV.
Microbicides, a new class of biomedical products in development, would address one of the central gaps in the existing range of HIV prevention options. Female-initiated HIV prevention options, such as microbicides, would help give women greater control over their own health.
At the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM), we develop microbicides based on the same antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) being used successfully to treat HIV/AIDS and to prevent mother-to-child transmission. ARV-based microbicides could revolutionize women’s ability to protect themselves from HIV and could be developed into easy-to-use options, such as monthly vaginal rings and once-daily gels and films.
While women may be at greater risk of HIV, they are not helpless—they just need the right tools to protect their own health and their family’s health.
The greatest achievements in women’s rights have resulted from relentless commitment, persistence and innovation. Facing the growing challenge of HIV/AIDS requires more of the same.
-Dr. Zeda Rosenberg, CEO, International Partnership for Microbicides
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March 11, 2010 at 6:16 am
http://www.Pozspaces.com is a singles dating site for individuals who
may be HIV positive or have AIDS. We understand that living with this
virus/disease can be difficult when it comes to dating. We want to
provide the opportunity for those living with the virus or disease to
meet others in an environment where sharing this information is
acceptable and comforting.
September 3, 2010 at 12:59 pm
It’s wonderful to hear of new technologies being developed to protect women, especially since alternatives to protecting themselves against HIV are limited and often ineffective due to their lack of resources and bargaining power in male-female relations. I only wonder how accessible ARV-based microbicides will ever become to the women who would benefit most from them. Health technologies are wonderful tools for international development if they are affordable, accessible, and properly used. I look forward to hearing more about the successes and challenges of disseminating microbicides to women globally.