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On Sunday, April 25, a team of AIDS Action staff members
joined the estimated 500,000 to 1.15 million people who
participated in the March for Women’s Lives, an event organized
to support women’s sexual health in general and their reproductive
choice in particular—issues that, though often overlooked,
are essential for policy-makers to consider when developing
strategies for researching, preventing, and treating sexually
transmitted infections, including HIV
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| Marchers
head toward Pennsylvania Avenue |
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According
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women
accounted for 30% of the estimated new HIV infections in
2001. Women also represent an increasing share of new AIDS
cases. While women accounted for only 7% of new AIDS cases
in 1986, they accounted for 26% in 2001.
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| March
participants unwind near the Washington Monument |
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| Whoopi Goldberg addresses the crowd
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“For
many women HIV prevention, testing, and treatment is occurring
in the context of their general reproductive and sexual
health care. Therefore it is critical that we partner with
projects like the March for Women's Lives in an effort to
educate and inform all women about HIV,” revealed AIDS Action
Government Affairs Associate Jessica Tytel, who served as
team lead for the March. Despite the availability of many
HIV-related services at family planning and reproductive
health care clinics, many women still are not getting the
information they need to make informed choices about HIV
and their sexual health.
“The
lack of education and awareness, combined with a host
of competing priorities in their lives, such as caring
for children and sick or aging relatives, and a lack of
health insurance, means that women tend to be diagnosed
with HIV at a later stage than men and such delays mean
that HIV positive women do not always begin HIV treatment
as early as recommended.” Ms. Tytel continued. “Clearly,
there is a need to identify more opportunities for reaching
women with messages about the importance of early HIV
diagnosis and treatment as well as effective HIV prevention.
And the March for Women’s Lives was one of the opportunities.”
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