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Women are at risk of HIV

About 25 percent of people living with HIV infection in the United States are women. It can be hard for women to prevent HIV or to take care of themselves if they have it. There are several things that can put you at higher risk of being infected with HIV:

• Having unprotected sex with more than one partner
• Injecting drugs, either now or in the past
• Having sex with someone to get money or drugs in return, or having sex with someone who has traded sex for money or drugs
• Having sex, now or in the past, with someone who has HIV, is bisexual, or injects drugs
• Having another sexually transmitted infection (STI)
• If you had a blood transfusion between 1978 and 1985

Of course, these are not the only ways to get HIV. Some women have a higher risk than others. This section explores many reasons why women are at risk of HIV infection.

• Women who have sex can get HIV
• Women of all ages can get HIV
• Women of all races and ethnicities can get HIV
• Violence against women and HIV risk
• Alcohol and substance abuse and HIV risk

Content last updated July 1, 2011.

Resources last updated July 1, 2011.

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