WOMEN AND AIDS

In North America, there are 148 AIDS cases per 100,000 women, which compares favorably with the African rate of 2,500 cases per 100,000 women. But the average heterosexual woman who dies of AIDS, no matter where she lives, leaves behind two children. An HIV-positive mother has a 25-40% chance of having an HIV-positive baby-one either born with HIV or infected through breast milk (see card 87)-and the rate rises the longer she is ill.

Lesbian women form one of the demographic groups least affected by AIDS. This, coupled with their political solidarity with gay men, means that many U.S. AIDS service groups rely heavily on lesbian volunteers. But lesbians are not immune to AIDS, and they too are urged to always practice safer sex (see cards 64 and 65).

Until the CDC changed its definition of AIDS in 1993 (see card 92), women were said to die of AIDS "sooner after diagnosis" than men. The reason for this was that the CDC failed to include opportunistic infections (Ols) peculiar to women-such as invasive cervical cancer-in the list of Ols that defined AIDS, so until women were sicker and got more Ols, they were said not to have AIDS. Women were also discriminated against by being limited to only 7% of those enrolled in experimental antiviral drug programs.

AIDS is now one of the five leading causes of death in U.S. women aged 15 to 44. 72% are African-American and Latina; 50% use IV drugs. Most are poor. HIV-positive women who become pregnant may choose an abortion rather than giving birth to a child who could be infected, but poor women find it hard to get abortions because 37 states refuse to fund the procedure through Medicaid. Next Card 85: HETEROSEXUAL MEN and AIDS