Wednesday is National Coming Out Day, which is an annual lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and intersex (LGBTQI) awareness day observed on Oct. 11. Continue reading National Coming Out Day 2017: 11 Quotes To Celebrate LGBT Life
Patients may hear some — or all — of these words while speaking to their doctors about breast cancer. Understanding these terms and how they can affect you may be key to getting the help you need. Continue reading National Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Key terms you should know
In the ever-changing and highly competitive fitness industry, there are few brands that stand the test of time. September marks the 25th birthday of Curves International Inc., one of the largest chains of fitness clubs for women in the world with more than 4,000 locations in over 70 countries.
Continue reading Curves kicked off their 25th birthday celebrations and will gift 25 female veterans $25,000 each toward owning their own Curves club
August is National Breastfeeding Month. In recognition of the health benefits to women and infants, Dr. Lorna C. Shepherd shares 10 Reasons to Breastfeed.
Continue reading 10 Reasons to Breastfeed
Founder and CEO of Healthy Momma, Flossie Hall is an active duty Navy spouse of 15 years and a mother of four, ranging in age from 6 to 17. Like many military spouses today, despite having a college degree, Flossie faced employment challenges due to her husband’s frequent deployments and multiple moves. In fact, Flossie was headed to medical school when orders were received for her husband to deploy overseas – again. Unemployed in San Diego with four children and a husband in harm’s way, many might have considered it easier to pack up and move ‘back home’ to be closer to family for support. Not Flossie. Continue reading Military Spouse Finds Future in Healthy, Affordable Food Prep.
Despite the progress made by women in science, engineering, and medicine, a glance at most university directories or pharmaceutical executive committees tells a more complex story. Women in science are succeeding in fields that may not even be conscious of the gender imbalances.
Each year, nearly 20 billion sanitary pads, tampons and applicators are dumped into North American landfills every year, and it takes centuries for them to biodegrade inside plastic bags, according to a 2016 Harvard Business School report. Additionally, it requires high amounts of fossil fuel energy to produce the plastic for these products, resulting in a large carbon footprint. Continue reading University of Utah Engineers Develop World’s First 100-Percent Biodegradable, Yet Comfortable Maxi Pad
Imagine being at home one night in your living room singing along to music with your husband while making dinner, and then, just like that, the phone rings and your entire life changes without warning. Continue reading Diagnosed with Colon Cancer at 31, This Woman Is Determined to Teach Black People the Risks & Signs
HIV is often characterized as a disease that overwhelmingly affects gay and bisexual men, subsequently obscuring the significant and unique risks experienced by women. In truth, 27 percent of all new HIV cases are attributed to women, making HIV/AIDS the leading cause of deathworldwide for women aged 15-44.
Women are subjected to various institutional barriers that escalate the risk of infection and prevent access to treatment.
On National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, it is imperative that we recognize the threat of HIV facing women of all ages, encourage steps towards ending the epidemic among women, and empower women to affect the global response to HIV.
Around the world, women encounter institutional barriers that increase the risks and impact of HIV. The failure by public institutions to promote comprehensive sex education, both in the United States and abroad, has limited awareness of the dangers of HIV infection for women.
Women also comprise two-thirds of the world’s 800 million illiterate adults, a product of social hierarchies that limit educational opportunities for girls and women. As a result, women are frequently unable to access desperately needed information about sexual health, STI testing, and available treatments.
Women are also exposed to the risks of HIV through sexual assault. In the United States, one in five women is sexually assaulted at some point in their lives. Our society’s failure to properly address sexual assault has endangered women while allowing perpetrators to routinely walk free.
Women face greater risk of HIV infection not only through the incidence of sexual assault, but also as a result of the life-long trauma and symptoms that can result from sexual assault. For that reason, GMHC’s Safety in Housing program offers housing to individuals suffering from unstable housing as a result of intimate partner violence.
Women with HIV have also struggled to attain proper healthcare. As of 2012, only 55 percent of women living with HIV received continuous treatment, only 39 percent of women had been prescribed antiretroviral therapy, and only 30 percent had achieved viral suppression.
Since the early days of the HIV epidemic, the HIV-positive community has struggled to receive affordable access to care and treatment. For HIV-positive women, access to treatment is further complicated by gender inequities in employment and pay.
Moreover, 62 percent of all women diagnosed with HIV in 2014 were African American and 16 percent were Hispanic, signaling the prevalence of HIV among women of color susceptible to additional barriers to care.
Programs such as those offered through GMHC’s Women’s Care, Prevention, and Support Division, and our Empowerment program for transgender women, play a vital role in expanding access to testing and treatment for women who are most at risk.
Continue onto The Hill to read more about the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
