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The number of women contracting HIV
in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is increasing. McMaster University Medical
Centre’s Special Immunology Services (SIS) clinic had 478 new patients between
2011 and 2012; 36 percent of them were women. This is an increase of 6 percent
from the previous year and an even larger increase from the 9 percent
registered in 1996.
Dr. Fiona Smaill of the SIS clinic
said that, according to Health Canada data, the number of women testing
positive had not changed drastically in the past few years, but it has
increased from the early days of HIV and AIDS. She noted that most women were
infected through heterosexual transmission, and a smaller number through
injecting drug use. Some of the new cases in women were related to immigration
from areas where HIV affects both men and women equally as well as infections
found in some aboriginal communities. Smaill suggested that women have better
access to testing than men, such as routine testing in pregnancy; hence, they
are more likely to be diagnosed.
William LaFerla, board vice
president of the AIDS Network, which provides programs and support services for
Hamilton, Halton, Haldimand, Norfolk, and Brant areas, commented that the
network has seen its clientele evolve, with older gay men surviving and young
females comprising more of the new clients needing help. La Ferla attributed
some of the change to risk-taking among the younger generations. He thought
high schools needed to provide more dialogue, as he blamed risk-taking among
young women on lack of education on the issue, bad choices, and the mistaken
belief that they are impervious to infection.
Dawn Elston, a former research
coordinator for 12 years at McMaster, said that they saw the epidemic change
and “women are quickly catching up.” Elston noted that HIV management has
improved greatly to the point that women with HIV infection are considering
motherhood. She explained that with proper prenatal preparation and treatment,
the chance of a fetus contracting HIV from the mother is less than 2 percent.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
