Women with AIDS

For a long timewomen with HIV were ignored because the focus was totally on HIV men.The gaycommunity was very much in sight and vocal and successfully got support

for its cause.Now weare rapidly approaching the point where about one haff of all AIDS cases inthe. world are women. But no one is taking this dangerously high level of

infection amongwomen seriously enough.

Women usually have aworse time dealing with HIV than men do.In most cases,the woman is taking careof children as well as her sick partner. She may not even have time

to take care ofherself. The HIV-positive woman ends up shouldering the family as well as herown personal problems. Men,however,are usually the ones who have insurance

income and access todoctors.They get care.Women often do not.

The discriminationagainst HIV-positive women is simply terrible.They are likely to be moreinactive than men in the home and workplace because too many people think

that women are thecause of the disease.This is not at all true.They get it from a man.They don'tjust simply have HIV.Of course,there's a social discrimination against all

people with HIV.Theyare scared that other people will know they are HJV-positive and that theywill,therefore be discriminated against. For example,it's very difficult for

people with HIV totravel.They are not allowed to enter many countries,including the United States,Chinaand Russia.

The biggestdifficulty an HIV-positive woman must face is the isolatjon.Once the womanknows she's HIV-positive,she lives in fear that other people will findout.She's so

frightened she willgo into hiding,into an isolated place by herself. It's not at all uncommon tomeet a woman who has been HIV-positive for nearly 10 years and has never

told anyone,excepther doctor. And the resulting stress is enough to make her sick.ButHIV-positive women who get support,who can discuss their trouble and then do

something about it一whether that means taking better careof themselves or going to the United Nations to struggle for their rights一are likely to live longer. Active women

don't die out ofshame in a corner. This happens to too many HIV-positive women.The high level ofinfection among womnen has been taken seriously.

A.Right

B.Wrong

C.Not mentioned