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Today, women account for nearly 50% of all infections worldwide, and among people under the age of 24 living with HIV, two thirds are women. For biological reasons, women are about twice as likely as men to get infected by HIV during sex.

Women’s position in society also makes them much more vulnerable. In many parts of the world, women are not granted the freedom to choose how to protect themselves or to control when their partners use a condom.

Education and Prevention

Education is the most powerful tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Knowledge about how HIV is transmitted and how to prevent infection is a key defence in the spread of HIV. But in many societies, girls and young women do not have easy access to such information due to a lack of education. They are also denied access to prevention services, such as male or female condoms.

It is vital that women everywhere are provided with information and access to prevention methods that they can control. (Microbicides, a substance that can come in the form of a gel but is still being developed, could provide women with such control).

Protection, Respect and the Role of Men

Women, both married and unmarried, are put at risk of contracting HIV by the behaviour of others. In many parts of the world, marriage and long-term relationships do not protect women from HIV and their lack of social power and economic independence mean that women have to rely on men’s cooperation to protect them from HIV.

Shockingly, more than a fifth of all girls and young women report that their first sexual encounter was forced. Across the world, women are also being exploited through trafficking and sex work. Women must be protected from violence and exploitation to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Men have a key role to play here - they need to be involved by making sure that women are less vulnerable and by respecting women’s choices.