Women | www.aides.org

glossary

AIDES
First French association
against HIV / AIDS and viral hepatitis
Founding member of the Coalition PLUS

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Women

Women’s issues.

Specific actions are increasing, innovative prevention and support projects are being developed.

Helping HIV positive women to speak openly enables us to draw attention to their specific needs.

And so we begin to see testimonials where women put forward their claims in a fight to change the social reality which does not take into account their particular prevention and medical care needs.

AIDES supports women by organising and facilitating focus groups, sociable get-togethers, workshops on prevention, treatment, nutrition, sexuality and beauty.

We continue to strengthen the recognition of women’s needs regarding HIV and HCV in the AIDES network

All these opportunities allow women to put an end to isolation and to discuss the physical, moral and professional consequences of HIV and Hepatitis.

“Battery charging” weekends are organised and attended by HIV positive women. In pleasant and friendly surroundings, women have the opportunity to acquire specific knowledge on gynaecology, pregnancy, treatment etc, to work on self esteem, to discuss life experiences and find collective or individual responses for living well with HIV.

We go on with our advocacy work with the National Aids and Hepatitis Research Agency and the TRT-5.

We continue in our endeavours to fight for a more affordable female condom and to raise the awareness of researchers and politicians on the interest of financing research on microbicides.

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Women are more vulnerable to HIV/Aids

Biological factors :

- During unprotected vaginal intercourse, women are more at risk of being infected: sperm contains more virus and can stay longer in the genital organs;

- Germs get into the body through the mucous membranes. The ones in the female genitals have a greater surface area and are more fragile during periods, after giving birth, if there is an STI, among young girls, women during the menopause, during the first sexual encounter or during undesired, forced or violent sex.

Socio-economic, cultural or juridical factors :

- Economical dependence and lack of security can lead women to exchange sexual favours for food, accommodation or money.

- Physical and moral violence or the fear of being subjected to them, social or religious pressures decrease women’s ability to ask for safe sex.