Today Is World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day, founded in 1988 by the World Health Organization in Switzerland is observed annually on December 1st. World AIDS Day draws attention to the current status of the HIV/AIDS epidemic worldwide. The theme for this year’s international observance is "Leading with Science, Uniting for Action."

Did you know?

HIV – the Human Immunodeficiency Virus – is a virus that kills your body’s "CD4 cells." CD4 cells (also called T-helper cells) help your body fight off infection and disease.

AIDS - Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome – is the disease you get when HIV destroys your body’s immune system.

The first cases of AIDS were reported 30 years ago. Since then, the epidemic has claimed the lives of nearly 30 million people worldwide 1, and approximately 34 million people are currently living with HIV. 2

Women make up nearly 52 percent of the global total of people living with HIV.3

In sub-Saharan Africa, 60 percent of people living with HIV are women and children, who receive blood transfusions. 3

HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death and disease worldwide for women in their reproductive years (ages 15 to 49).4

HIV and AIDS in the United States

1.2 million people in the United States live with HIV infection. 5

In 2009, women represented 24% of all diagnoses of HIV infection in U.S.5

There were 11,200 new HIV infections for women in 2009. That’s one new infection every 47 minutes. 5


Sources

1 World Health Organization. Global Health Observatory HIV/AIDS data, 2009. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2011.

2 Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). UNAIDS World AIDS Day Report, 2011.

3 UNAIDS. http://www.unaids.org/en/strategygoalsby2015/womenandgirls/. 2011

4 UNAIDS. Global Report 2010, 2010.

5 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV in the United States, 2011

YWCA USA FACT SHEET – HIV/AIDS, Nov. 2011
For more information, visit www.ywca.org.