Wednesday, March 10, marks the fourth annual National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The day calls for people to get informed, get tested, and take action.
One idea for getting involved was started last year by bloggers The Fabulous Giver and Awesomely Luuvie. They recruited more than 100 bloggers to begin a conversation about the increasing impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls and created the Red Pump Project. This year blogs, including AAUW Dialog, are participating in the Rock the Red PumpTM campaign by putting the logo on our blog in solidarity with advocates and women affected by or fighting the disease. You can also tweet or post messages on Facebook (hashtag #redpump) during a Twitter town hall.
AAUW Staff Rockin' the Red Pump!
Other efforts to raise awareness are also taking place. New domestic campaigns, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Act Against Aids” and “i know” social media effort aim to reach the most at-risk audiences and reduce the incidence of new HIV cases. In Washington, D.C., with the highest number of AIDS in the country by population, a $500,000 grant from MAC Cosmetics is allowing for free distribution of female condoms at the same locations where male condoms are made available for free.
Another key way to take action is to support comprehensive sex education programs that provide clear and unbiased information about HIV/AIDS and explain how women can protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases.
While much has changed in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, the news has not been all good. Just last week, the United Nations announced that AIDS is now the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age (15–49) and that violence against women is a contributing factor to the rise in new infections. In the United States alone, a woman tests positive for HIV every 35 minutes. African American women and Latinas disproportionately reflect the largest number of new cases, accounting for 75 percent of new HIV infections despite making up only 25 percent of the population. And AIDS is now the leading cause of death for African American women between the age of 25 and 34.
National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is an opportunity to focus on HIV/AIDS prevention and to directly and actively impact the lives of women and girls facing the disease.
AAUW's Red Pumps
We are proud to participate! I shared some other stats with staff about the links between gender equity, gender-based violence, and the rise in HIV infections for women globally and they were floored. I’ll continue to follow you on Facebook and Twitter for more information and ways to take action. The Red Pump Project Rocks!
LOVE THIS!!! So glad to see the whole office participate. Thanks for “Rocking the Red Pumps” ladies!