Women and HIV/AIDS in the United States - Fact Sheet

Short Description
The HIV/AIDS epidemic is taking an increasing toll on women in. the United States. … estimates that there were 270000-308000 women living with HIV/AIDS …

Website: www.kff.org | Filesize: 524kb

Content
Women and HIV/AIDS in the United States
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation: 2400 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 Phone: (650) 854-9400Facsimile:
(650) 854-4800 Website: www.kff.org
Washington, DC Office: 1330 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 347-5270 Facsimile: (202) 347-5274
February 2006
The HIV/AIDS epidemic is taking an increasing toll on women in
the United States.1,2 Women of color, particularly African American
women, have been especially hard hit and represent the majority
of new AIDS cases among women.1 Many women with HIV/AIDS
are low-income and most have important family responsibilities,
potentially complicating the management of their illness. Research
suggests that women with HIV face limited access to care and
experience disparities in access, relative to men.3,4,5,6
Overview
Although men continue to represent the majority of new HIV infections
and AIDS cases in the U.S., women account for a growing share.
In 1985, women represented 8% of AIDS diagnoses; by 2004, they
accounted for 27%, or more than 11,000 of the AIDS cases diagnosed in
that year (Figure 1).1,2 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
estimates…