Reducing the vulnerability of women to HIV/AIDS

Preventing HIV infection among women

Support the development of HIV/AIDS prevention interventions that provide the necessary messages, skills, and support services to men and women, including marginalized or hard-to-reach groups, such as migrants, the wives and non-marital partners of migrating men, women and men in prison, and adolescent girls and boys both in and out of school:

· increase girls access to education, including access to scholarships and other financial assistance;

· support programmes that target both men and women with informed messages about the importance of using condoms to protect both partners from HIV and other STD, and about their mutual responsibility to engage in safer sex practices;

· support sex and HIV/AIDS education for young people (male and female) in school and out of school to increase their understanding and skills in human sexuality;

· support the development of sound HIV/AIDS workplace polices and effective workplace education programmes;

· remove obstacles to womens ability to earn money and engage in productive labour by supporting child care services, equal pay for equal work, employment training programmes, as well as small business and agricultural development programmes;

· ensure a safe blood supply through blood donations from low risk, voluntary, non-renumerated blood donors and test all blood for HIV.

· reduce unnecessary blood transfusions by improving womens nutrition, preventing anaemia, treating infections, preventing the loss of blood due to complications in pregnancy, and using blood substitutes wherever possible;

Reduce the incidence and prevalence of STDs among women by increasing their access to and utilization of appropriate STD services:

· develop appropriate educational programmes that target both men and women concerning the increased risk of acquiring HIV infection in the presence of an STD;

· fund activities that educate women how to prevent and recognize signs and symptoms of STDs and to seek appropriate health care services;

· provide high quality condoms through effective social marketing programmes and promote the use and distribution of lubricants and other agents that reduce the likelihood of microscopic vaginal lesions associated with sexual intercourse;

· improve the provision of STD diagnostic and treatment services for women, regardless of age or marital status;

· support research to better understand womens biological vulnerability to HIV, and the impact of contraceptives and other means of fertility regulation, and of pregnancy, on HIV infection and disease progression;

· advocate that biomedical scientists and private industry give top priority to developing a vaginal virucide or microbicide active against HIV and other STDs.