Queenly Awareness: HIV/AIDS

Queen in Heels is more than a blog about designer high heels. Queen in heels is a brand.

A brand that is dedicated to empowering women through with informative posts, advice, and tips. Queen in Heels is about giving information on travel, finances, health, relationships and other topics that are important to women. This information is provided via the Queen in Heels site, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, upcoming events, and merchandise.

There are so many important topics and issues that affect women and Queen in Heels will continue to address these many subjects. However, I wanted to align the Queen in Heels brand with a particular cause. After much research and debate (sometimes talking to and answering yourself isn’t really so crazy), I chose HIV/AIDS Awareness.

Let us look at some of the statistics:

HIV/AIDS and women in America:

* Every 35 minutes a woman tests positive for HIV in the United States

* 1 in 4 Americans living with HIV are women

* HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death of Black women aged 25-34

* HIV infection was the fifth leading cause of death among all women 35 to 44 years old

* the 2005 census show that together, black and Hispanic women represent 24% of all US women. However, women in these 2 groups accounted for 82% (8,807/10,774) of the estimated total of AIDS diagnoses

* 80% of new HIV infections in American women resulted from heterosexual contact.

HIV/AIDS and women worldwide:

* At the end of 2008, women accounted for 50% of all adults living with HIV worldwide

* The proportion of women living with HIV in Asia rose from 19% in 2000 to 35% in 2008. In India, women accounted for an estimated 39% of prevalence in 2007.

* In Myanmar, more than 18% of female sex workers are infected with HIV.

* In Kenya, young women (ages 15- 19) are three times more likely to become infected than their male counterparts.

* Women and girls continue to be most affected by HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Throughout the region, women account for 60% of all HIV infections.

* In Canada, a quarter of new adult HIV diagnoses have been among women. Half of all positive diagnoses in females were in young people aged under 20 years old.

* In Thailand at the end of 2007, 42% of women were diagnose with HIV/AIDS

(Statistics via: UNAIDS, CDC, Avert)

These statistics are startling. However, there is another statistic that is even more alarming. In the United States alone, the CDC estimates that 1in 5 people living with HIV infection do not know they are infected.

Not to long ago,MAC AIDS Fund conducted a survey of women and their sexual health. Here are some of the results that they found.

* 78% of women admit they’ve engaged in sexual intercourse without a condom.

* 55% of women have admitted they’ve never been tested for HIV and AIDS.

* 72% of women who had not used a condom didn’t use protection because they were in an exclusive relationship.

* 31% didn’t use condoms because they trusted their partner was not HIV-positive.

* Lastly, many women don’t feel powerful enough to fight for their own sexual health.

As Dr. Marjorie Hill, CEO of Gay Men’s Health Crisis, says, “Empowering women is essential to ensuring condom use. Women who feel safe, secure and confident are much more likely to negotiate safer sex.”

I agree. We as women must remember that we have the power, the right, and the responsibility to protect ourselves. Ladies taking the lead in your sexual health not only empowers you it saves your life.

We Pledge:

* We must educate ourselves and separate the facts from the myths.

* We can walk into a store and purchase a box of condoms without feeling shame or judgment from others because we chose to protect ourselves.

* We can insist that he put the condom on or leave.

* We can sit or partner down and question if he has remained faithful if we have the feeling something is not right.

* We can ask the guy if he has been tested for HIV/AIDS recently.

* We will go get an HIV/AIDS test ourselves. We will go alone, as a couple, or ask a friend along for support.

* We will ask our friends and family members to go get an HIV/AIDS test. And go along for support if they need it.

* We will talk to our daughters (and sons) on the importance of protecting themselves and stop ignoring the fact that yes, they will one day have sex.