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Abuse, poverty spur female infection rate

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Aids is increasingly becoming a serious threat to women, especially in developing countries. According to the World Health Organisation, Aids-related illness is the leading cause of death and disease among women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa.

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In 1985, there were as many HIV-infected men as women in sub-Saharan Africa but, today, HIV-infected women largely outnumber infected men. To date, about three-quarters of all women with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa.

There are several reasons for this vulnerability. Women and girls are particularly susceptible to be infected due to biological, social, cultural and economic factors. Younger women may be even more vulnerable because they are more often victims of coercive or forced sexual relations with infected men.

Women who are victims of sexual violence are at a higher risk of being exposed to the infection. According to a South African study, women who were dominated or beaten by their partners were much more likely to be infected with HIV than women who were not. Abusive husbands were more likely to be infected with HIV than non-abusive husbands, according to a study in India involving 20,425 couples.

Women's lower socio-economic status may also lead to high-risk behaviour and make them less able to seek information they need to keep themselves safe. Globally, only 38 per cent of young women were able to describe the ways to avoid infection and less likely than men to know that condoms can protect against the HIV infection.

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In addition, many young girls enter into sexual relationships with older men who are more sexually experienced, more powerful and are more likely to be infected and thus able to infect them. 'We need to help young people develop the skills for mutual consent in sex and marriage and put an end to violence and sexual coercion,' said Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAids.

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