- Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Family Planning
- HIV/AIDS and Other STIs
- Maternal Health
- U.S. Foreign Policy & Funding
- Why Women and Girls?
HIV/AIDS and Other STIs
AIDS is now a leading cause of death for women between the ages of 15 to 49. HIV rates are also growing rapidly among women. This is particularly true among adolescent girls whose rate of infection is often much higher than their male peers, especially in parts of the world where young women engage in sex with older men because of economic need or cultural pressures.
In most countries and settings, HIV/AIDS services are not well integrated into other sexual and reproductive health services, and are frequently not pursued from a human rights perspective. This lack of an integrated, rights-based approach hurts women, as women living with HIV face a number of specific reproductive health needs and human rights concerns as a result of their status. For example, the stigma attached to HIV often affects women, causing them to be blamed for bringing HIV into the home and leading to violence or economic hardship. In addition, when HIV/AIDS services are segregated from reproductive health services, women are less likely to obtain all the services they need.
Aside from HIV, an estimated 340 million sexually transmitted infections (STIs) occur each year around the world. Because of biological factors, STIs are often more easily transmitted from men to women than from women to men. Often, infection with one STI complicates or increases vulnerability to another – most significantly HIV. For example, women living with HIV are more susceptible to the complications related to the human papillomavirus (HPV), an STI that causes cervical cancer.
Raise your voice for the Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Act
Ask your Representative to co-sponsor the Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Act, new legislation that promotes a truly comprehensive and integrated approach to U.S. international reproductive health programs.
Take Action
- Advocates for Youth
- AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families
- AIDS Education Global Information System (AEGIS)
- AIDS.org
- American Social Health Association (ASHA)
- amfAR
- Campaign to End AIDS
- Center for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA)
- Cervical Barrier Advancement Society
- Contraceptive Research and Development Program (CONRAD)
- EngenderHealth
- Global Action for Children
- Global AIDS Alliance
- HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies
- HIV InSite
- Housing Works
- International AIDS Society
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
- International AIDS Women Caucus
- International Community of Women Living with AIDS (ICW)
- International Council of AIDS Service Organisations (ICASO)
- International HIV/AIDS Alliance
- International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)
- International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC)
- JHPIEGO
- PEPFAR Watch
- Population Reference Bureau
- Prevention Now!
- Reproductive Health Matters
- The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
- The Female Health Company
- The Global Campaign for Microbicides
- Women, Children and HIV
Source$15 billion - Launched in 2003 by President George W. Bush, PEPFAR pledged $15 billion over 5 years to combat global HIV/AIDS.
Source$48 billion - PEPFAR was reauthorized on July 30, 2008 and authorized $48 billion through fiscal year 2013.
Source7,400 - Globally, there are 7,400 new HIV infections every day.
Source340 million - Each year there are 340 million new cases of curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Source33 million - Worldwide there are approximately 33 million people living with HIV.
Source#1 - Globally, HIV is the leading cause of death and disease in women of reproductive age.
Source15.5 million - Of the 30.8 million adults living with HIV in 2007, 15.5 million were women.
Source60% - Women account for approximately 60% of the HIV/AIDS population in sub-Saharan Africa.
Source5 - Worldwide, women are 5 times more likely than men to contract an STI.
Source100 million - Young people experience more than 100 million new cases of STIs each year.
Clinical Trials To Go Ahead On Anti-AIDS Vaginal Gel
UNAIDS and the World Health Organization have agreed to hold two further clinical trials on a vaginal gel, which shows promise in reducing the risk of HIV. Experts attending a meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa last week decided new trials should be conducted as quickly as possible to confirm preliminary hopeful results.
SOUTH AFRICA: Communities debate microbicide results
IRIN Plus News, August 23, 2010 -- JOHANNESBURG, The recent release of positive results from a microbicide trial in South Africa have kick-started discussions between scientists, activists and community workers about the quickest and most responsible way of getting a product into women's hands.
Hillary Clinton Touts Global Health Initiative as Key Foreign Policy Tool
"What exactly does maternal health or immunizations or the fight against HIV and AIDS have to do with foreign policy?" Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton queried a packed crowd of faculty and students at the Johns Hopkins School of Advance International Studies on Monday. "Well, my answer is 'everything.' "
KENYA: HIV prevention for sex workers by sex workers
IRIN Plus News, August 11, 2010 -- NAIROBI - By night, Viviane Muasi, 25, is a sex worker in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, but when not canvassing for clients, she spends much of her time convincing other sex workers to test for HIV and use condoms.
Conversations with America: A Discussion on PEPFAR
Dr. Jeffrey L. Sturchio, President and CEO of the Global Health Council, holds a conversation with Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, on the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Uganda: Pepfar Makes U-Turn
Advocacy organisations in the US and Uganda have welcomed the announcement that the U.S. global AIDS program, PEPFAR, has reversed severe restrictions that capped enrollment of new HIV patients on life saving treatment in Uganda.
PEPFAR to Train Thousands of African Healthcare Workers
The success of PEPFAR – the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief – depends in large part on healthcare workers in African countries. But there’s a shortage of those workers, as many leave for better opportunities elsewhere. As a result, PEPFAR has a new program to try to solve the problem.
Report to Congress on Costs of Treatment in PEPFAR
This report shows the estimated mean cost of treatment, per patient-year, to PEPFAR.
Trends in U.S. Support for Global Female Condom Procurement, Distribution, and Programming
Historically, the U.S. government has shown strong support for international female condom procurement and distribution. However, U.S. leadership for female condom commodities has not extended to programming. This poster was developed for the 2010 XVIII International AIDS Conference.
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New Approaches to U.S. Foreign Policy and Global AIDS Strategy: What it Means for Women and Girls
The Obama administration has made key changes directly impact women and girls living with HIV/AIDS. However, problems with implementation and legislative barriers continue to impede progress towards a comprehensive approach to sexual and reproductive health and rights. This poster was developed for the 2010 XVIII International AIDS Conference.
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HIV/AIDS and Women in the Sex Sector: Facing Challenges and Finding Solutions
What are some policy recommendations and effective models of engaging sex workers in HIV prevention? CHANGE developed this poster for the 2010 XVIII International AIDS Conference.
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Fact Sheet: U.S. Global HEALTH Act of 2010
The U.S. Global HEALTH Act of 2010 (H.R. 4933) establishes a strategy to coordinate health-related U.S. foreign assistance and to assist developing countries in strengthening their indigenous health workforces and improving delivery of health services.
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Fact Sheet: Female Condoms
The basics of the female condom, the most up-to-date statistics, its level of social acceptability, and the need for increased distribution of female condoms globally.
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Country Profile: Female Condoms: Lessons from Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is regularly cited as a female condom success story and has the highest distribution and sales of female condoms in the world.1 This success is due in large part to an array of factors including: strong civil society participation, innovative social marketing, comprehensive and robust condom distribution mechanisms, capacity building of service providers across sectors, and sustained financial and technical support from the Government of Zimbabwe and funding partners.
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Country Profile: Female Condom Programming in Malawi
With funding and support from UNFPA and USAID, the Reproductive Health Unit of the Malawi Ministry of Health has worked with both the public sector and NGOs to provide condom programming and education to women, men, and youth in conjunction with expanding access to female condoms throughout the country.
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Country Profile: Female Condoms and the Donor Landscape in Uganda
Donor support for female condoms globally has surged in the past decade. Since 2001, donors increased their support for female condoms from nearly $2 million in 2001 to almost $13 million in 2007. The bulk of donor support for female condoms has been directed at sub-Saharan Africa.
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HIV/AIDS and Other STIs Topics
Botswana: Stigma and Women Living with HIV/AIDS
While in office, Botswana’s former Minister of Health publicly blamed women for the spread of HIV. This is a widespread sentiment, as Botswana’s HIV-positive women frequently encounter discrimination and blame.
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