HIV and Women Trivia Quiz

Answer: A high rate of IV drug abuse among older women.

Older women have a much lower incidence of IV drug abuse than do their younger counterparts. Studies have shown that older women are less likely to use condoms, as they are no longer worried about the possibility of conception. Older women are also less likely to see themselves as being at risk for HIV. Decreasing hormonal levels with menopause leads to increased friability of the vaginal mucosa, resulting in increased risk for HIV entry into the body. Approximately 10% of all female AIDS cases in the US in 2003 were in women over the age of 50.

Answer: True

The prevalence of HIV/AIDS was increasing rapidly among women in the United States in the early years of the 21st century. In 2001, there were 180,000 cases of HIV/AIDS among American women. By 2003, this number had increased to 240,000.

Answer: Black, non-Hispanic women

In 2004, black women still accounted for the highest number of AIDS cases among women in the United States, followed by Hispanic women as the second highest. In 2004, African and Hispanic women together represented less than 25% of all US women, yet accounted for about 80% of all female AIDS cases.

Answer: For every HIV infected teenage boy in South Africa, there were five infected teenage girls.

AIDS experts attribute this alarming statistic to a cultural "Sugar Daddy" phenomena where older, married, middle-aged men secretly take young girls as lovers and bestow gifts upon them.

Answer: False

Female to female sexual transmission amongst lesbians does occur. The journal, Clinical Infectious Diseases, February 2003, reported a case of transmission between two monogamous lesbians who were not IV drug abusers. The case documented recent seroconversion with the same known virus genotype as that of the partner. Specifics about the case may be found here: www.aidsmap.com/en/news/1F50D236-CFD3-4C0A-872D-1821F6D92E57.asp

Answer: Uganda

Efforts to promote abstinence as well as condom awareness efforts have met with success in Uganda. Health care for those infected remains poor, and many of those infected have already died. As of 2004, infections in the United States were still on the rise, as they were throughout much of the world, including Swaziland and Madagascar.

Answer: The high rate of IV drug abuse amongst this population

The disempowerment of women in Sub Sahara Africa makes it very difficult for them to practice safer sex. They have no power to demand that their partners use condoms. Many places in Africa still practice traditional tribal medicine and reject Western medicine altogether. African nations with the highest rates of circumcision have the lowest prevalence of HIV infections. Penile lesions are very common amongst African men, and help to facilitate HIV transmission. Of the 38 million people infected with HIV worldwide in 2004, 25 million live in Sub-Sahara Africa where the ration of infected women to men is 1.3 to 1.

Answer: Invasive carcinoma of the cervix

Cervical cancer rates are increased in HIV positive patients, especially those who also have a history of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection. While the Human Papilloma Virus causes venereal warts, the strains that are associated with cervical cancer do not. Invasive cervical cancer is the only AIDS defining malignancy specific to women.

Answer: 25%

If women receive a combination of anti-retroviral therapies during pregnancy, the risk of HIV transmission to the newborn baby drops to below two percent.

Answer: Delivery by Cesarean section

A delivery by Cesarean section decreases the risk for HIV transmission to the newborn, and is strongly recommend for HIV positive mothers with high viral loads. HIV is transmitted by breast milk, and for that reason HIV positive mothers should bottle feed their infants.