HIV Prevention Starts with Me: Women and Girls, Ending the HIV Epidemic Together

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Tammy R. Beckham, DVM, PhD, Director, Office of HIV/AIDS & Infectious Disease Policy, HHS, and Dorothy Fink, M.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women's Health, and Director, OWH, HHS

Ed. note: This blog was originally published on https://www.hiv.gov/blog/hiv-prevention-starts-me-women-and-girls-ending-hiv-epidemic-together

Today, March 10th, we observe National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The theme this year is HIV Prevention Starts with Me: Ending the HIV Epidemic Together.

Any woman who is sexually active can get HIV, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, or sexual orientation. At the same time, statistics show that African American women have a greater chance of acquiring HIV than their counterparts.

In addition, women face unique challenges when it comes to preventing or living with HIV, as they:

The number of HIV diagnoses among women has declined in recent years; however, in 2018, more than 7,000 women in the U.S. and dependent areas received an HIV diagnosis. These numbers demonstrate that we need to adopt new approaches to reducing HIV rates among women.

The Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative is doing just that by addressing the specific needs of the hundreds of thousands of women in the U.S. who are living with HIV or could be exposed to the virus.

Through EHE, we are working to diagnose, prevent, and treat HIV among women:

HIV prevention and treatment are critical to reducing new cases among women and girls. We encourage women and girls–and their partners, friends, and family members who care about them—to learn more about how they can take control of their health to prevent HIV and the related stigma that keeps many from seeking testing, prevention, care, and treatment. By doing so, together we can stop HIV.

To learn more, please take the time to view this important message from Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.

Learn about National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. To find an HIV testing location near you or find a healthcare provider, visit locator.HIV.gov. Find out more about PrEP at HIV.gov/PrEP and see if you qualify for the Ready, Set, PrEP at GetYourPrEP.com .