SCHN to Host HIV/AIDS Awareness Event
Wednesday, March 10 is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
For 14 years, this day has been nationally recognized as a day for organizations and individuals to shed light on the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls. This year, the Southern Colorado Health Network (SCHN) will host it’s 10th annual event in observance of the day, featuring online programming and keynote speakers to bring awareness to the disease’s prevalence among girls and women and support those living with the disease. “Tremendous progress has been made against HIV and AIDS in the U.S., but women remain vulnerable to infection—especially Black/African American and Latinx women,” SCHN reports.
The virtual event will begin at 12pm MST on Wednesday, March 10. Keynote speakers include Daneya Esgar, Colorado House Majority Leader Jessica Kobylinski, chief operating officer of the Colorado Health Network, and infectious disease specialist Dr. Betsy Kleiner. The SCHN will also feature personal stories from women with HIV/AIDS and share with viewers the importance of working to end stigma against the disease.
While the majority of new HIV cases in the U.S. are among men, women and girls are still affected. From 2014 to 2018, the new number of infections among women in the U.S. remained stable, at around 6,700 per year, according to the CDC. In 2018, 18 percent of new HIV cases in the U.S. were among women.
Globally, the statistics are alarming. More than 50 percent of individuals living with HIV/AIDS around the world are women. Due to a lack of access to healthcare and education, as well as sexual abuse and poverty, young women are twice as likely to acquire HIV than young men. In some sub-Saharan African countries, young women are eight times as likely to be living with HIV as young men.
The Southern Colorado Health Network’s event on March 10 is an opportunity to learn more about HIV/AIDS among women, or, for those living with the disease, to find connection within the community. To register for the event, visit the SCHN website. Donation opportunities are also available for those not able to attend the virtual event.
