The percentage of women living with HIV/AIDS varies significantly between different regions of the world. In areas such as Europe and Oceania, women account for a relatively low percentage of HIV infected people. However, in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean, the percentage is significantly higher.
An HIV positive woman in Joza
In 1985 in sub-Saharan Africa there were as many HIV infected men as there were women. However as the infection rate has increased over the years, the number of women living with HIV/AIDS has overtaken and remained higher than the number of infected men. In 2007 there were around 12 million women living with HIV/AIDS, compared to about 8.3 million men. UNAIDS have estimated that around three quarters of all women with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa4.
Sub-Saharan Africa is one region of the world where the majority of HIV transmission occurs during heterosexual contact. As women are twice as likely to acquire HIV from an infected partner during unprotected heterosexual intercourse than men5, women are disproportionately infected in this region.
Sub-Saharan Africa is one region of the world where the majority of HIV transmission occurs during heterosexual contact. As women are twice as likely to acquire HIV from an infected partner during unprotected heterosexual intercourse than men5, women are disproportionately infected in this region.
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