Women have unique issues and special challenges that make it harder for them to prevent HIV or take care of themselves if they have HIV.

• Women can give HIV to their babies. Women who have HIV can give it to their babies during
• pregnancy
• delivery
• breast-feeding
• Women's bodies are different.
• A woman is twice as likely as a man to get HIV infection during vaginal sex (because the lining of the vagina provides a large area of potential exposure to HIV-infected semen).
• Some diseases or disorders unique to women make HIV more serious.
• Women may lack control in relationships.
• Scared to say no to sex
• Scared to insist their partner (husband or boyfriend) use a condom
• Can’t talk to their partner about
• abstinence (not having sex)
• faithfulness (having only one sex partner)
• using condoms
• Don’t know if their partner is doing things that put him (and therefore her) at risk for HIV
• Women may not earn much money, which makes it hard for them to pay doctors or even get a ride to their doctor appointments. In extreme instances, some women even end up trading sex for money or drugs.
• Women may have to find someone to take care of their children while they go to the doctor.
• Women may be caregivers for others and not feel they have the time to take care of themselves.
• Some women are even afraid to tell their doctors they have HIV, fearing they won’t get good treatment.