Women and HIV/AIDS - Living with HIV/AIDS - Young Women Infected with HIV/AIDS

Young Women Infected with HIV/AIDS

Young people in the United States are at a greater risk of getting HIV infection through heterosexual contact. According to CDC research on disadvantaged youth, the rate of HIV among young women aged 16–21 is 50 percent higher than the rate among young men in that age group.

Young women are at a greater risk of getting HIV for several reasons, including:

biological reasons

not knowing their partners' risk factors, such as a history of unprotected sex or injection drug use

feeling less power in relationships

having sex with older men who are infected

Many young women infected with HIV as infants from their mothers are now facing decisions about becoming sexually active as well. In a recent American Journal of Public Health article, some of these young women grow up without knowing they are HIV positive. Family members and caregivers delayed telling them because of fear of shame. Other research shows that once these young women are aware, they are more likely to have risky sex without telling partners they are HIV positive.

To ensure that these teens do not spread HIV, they will need counseling and education. HIV prevention outreach and education efforts, including programs on abstinence, are key for these young women. The following are some CDC-tested prevention programs that state and local health departments provide for youth across the country.

Teens Linked to Care is focused on young people aged 13–29 who are living with HIV.

Street Smart is an HIV/AIDS and STD prevention program for runaway and homeless youth.

PROMISE (Peers Reaching Out and Modeling Intervention Strategies for HIV/AIDS Risk Reduction in their Community) is a community-level HIV prevention intervention that relies on role-model stories and peers from the community.

Additional Information on Young Women Infected with HIV/AIDS:

Publications

Drugs + HIV > learn the link - This site has commercials and “webisodes” for teens to help them understand the link between drug abuse and HIV infection.

http://hiv.drugabuse.gov/

Healthy Youth!: Sexual Risk Behaviors - This fact sheet provides statistics on young adults, their sexual behaviors, occurrences of STDs and numbers of those infected with HIV. There are also resources for state and local programs listed on the website for further information on priority health risks among youth.

http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/sexualbehaviors/index.htm

HIV Infection in Adolescents and Young Adults in the U.S. - In the early 2000's, there has been a surge in the number of AIDS cases among young adults in the U.S. and the NIAID provides a fact sheet to explain the unique vulnerabilities of this segment of the population.

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/hivadolescent.htm

Teen Talk, Vol. 1: Many Teens Are Saying “No” - This publication gives advice to teens on how to make decisions about sex, what to know about relationships, and where to find more help.

http://www.hhs.gov/opa/pubs/download_pubs/teentalk_vol1_sayno.pdf

What Can Women Do to Protect Themselves? - This publication offers advice to young and older women on how to protect their health and prevent becoming infected with HIV.

http://www.cdc.gov/HIV/topics/women/protection.htm

Young African American Women and HIV (Copyright © Advocates for Youth) - This publication highlights the rise in the trend of young African American women who are acquiring HIV at a greater number than the early years of the AIDS epidemic. It offers data on biological factors, social conditions, and sexual behaviors that put this segment of the population at risk.

http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/PUBLICATIONS/frtp/youngaawomen.htm

Organizations

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated January 25, 2008.