- Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Family Planning
- Women, Girls, and HIV
- Maternal Health
- U.S. Foreign Policy & Funding
- Watch: Making U.S. Foreign Assistance Work for Women and Girls in Ethiopia
- Female Condoms and U.S. Foreign Policy
- Family Planning Policy Restrictions and HIV
- Global Health Initiative
- Global Gag Rule
- Helms Amendment
- Foreign Assistance Budget
- Foreign Assistance Reform
- Kemp-Kasten Amendment
- Abstinence & Fidelity
- Anti-Prostitution Pledge
- Advocacy and Foreign Assistance
- Why Women and Girls?
Women Living With HIV: Testimonials
"I don't want, 20 years from now, another woman...talking about her experience (with HIV) because she didn't have information about her sexual and reproductive health."—Anna Irungu, Kenya continue reading or watch
“My adolescence coincided with a new situation in the region: the opening of the “Iron Curtain,” and as a consequence, the emergence of drug trafficking...”—Lena Stryzhak, Ukraine continue reading
"We always think about the messages and how we can do this, and it's really, really simple, if you think about it. Being honest with people. Telling people, you don't have to engage in risky behavior or high risk sex, you just have to have sex without a condom to get HIV."—Gina Brown, United States watch
“I was diagnosed with HIV when I had gone to attend my antenatal clinic in 2005 when I was pregnant. My husband turned out to be negative...(he) ended up deserting me, leaving me fully pregnant and taking away all the property that we had…”—Jesca Were, Uganda continue reading
“I decided to go public on my status to save my people who were dying of AIDS and were calling it witchcraft…My testimony alone encouraged many to seek prompt medical care and the hope to continue living with the virus.”—Evelyn Letio, South Sudan continue reading
“I was told to accept (sterilization) without any information or counseling..she told me that she doesn’t require (my permission).” —Teresia Otieno, Kenya; coercively sterilized at age 26 because of her HIV status. watch
“I was tested at my place of work, and when I was found positive, I was dismissed from work. I stigmatized myself for four years without accessing treatment which infected my son, who passed away.”—Gifty Torkornu, Ghana continue reading or watch
“I was the only one who was born HIV positive to a positive mother. I was diagnosed with HIV in May 1988; I was two years old. I was just a young girl; my mother feared to tell me my status due to high levels of stigmatization at school and misunderstanding of the disease.”—MaryLiza Taban, South Sudan (pictured standing at right) continue reading
“I was diagnosed with HIV in March 2008 and I was five months pregnant…I had no knowledge of HIV, PMTCT (prevention of mother-to-child, or vertical, transmission) … the father of my baby passed away when I was eight months pregnant, so I was young, widowed, afraid, and very vulnerable all at once."—Annah Sango, Zimbabwe (pictured standing at left) continue reading
“When I went to my first AIDS Service Organization, my mother and I were told that I would not live out the year…now I have the opportunity to work in the field of HIV/AIDS...I am very blessed to be able to help women, by being a voice or just being an ear and shoulder, when needed.” —Jay Connor, United States continue reading
"The thing I have gained is the passion to help others in my same situation...I had the opportunity to work for another agency called Christie’s Place. They love me and trust me and made me a family case worker and peer navigator to work with 51 cases (they are all HIV positive)."—Martha Zarate, United States continue reading
“In 1987, I passed through problems of being beaten by the Uganda People’s Army and four men raped me...in 2003, (the Lord's Resistance Army) did so again.”—Hellen Amuge, Uganda continue reading
Related News
- UN Report: Maternal Deaths Dropped by Half Over 20-Year Span
May 16, 2012 - Better Treatment for HIV-Positive Pregnant Women
April 10, 2012 - The Gender-based Violence And HIV Connection
April 7, 2012 - Family planning: A force for good across Africa
April 3, 2012 - D.C. female condom program prevents HIV infections
March 26, 2012 - The Integration of HIV and Gender-based Violence
December 16, 2011 - Women living with HIV championing the response to AIDS in Kenya
November 7, 2011 - Women and HIV
June 3, 2011
Related Publications
- Ficha técnica: ¿Qué tiene que ver la planificación familiar con el VIH? Todo.
La planificación familiar voluntaria es un componente indispensable de la prevención y el tratamiento del VIH. - What Does Family Planning Have to do With HIV? Everything.
Voluntary family planning is an indispensible component of HIV prevention and treatment. - Female Condoms and U.S. Foreign Assistance: An Unfinished Imperative for Women’s Health
Female Condoms and U.S. Foreign Assistance: An Unfinished Imperative for Women's Health, summarizes U.S. support for female condoms, identifies barriers, and offers concrete recommendations for improving U.S. efforts to increase access and availability of female condoms. - Policy Recommendations: Married Women and HIV: Comprehensive Prevention
In the absence of community-based efforts to alter the social structures that promote infidelity, public health programs which aim to reduce married women’s risk by telling men to be faithful will not succeed. - Research Summary: Marital Sex and the HIV Risk for Women Worldwide
Globally, women’s risk of contracting HIV is heightened if they are married, largely due to men’s extramarital sexual relationships. Despite this clear risk, current efforts to prevent the spread of HIV fall far short of protecting married women. - Human Trafficking, HIV/AIDS, and the Sex Sector
Current U.S. foreign policy relating to adults in the sex sector violates basic human rights, distracts from effective anti-trafficking efforts, and directly impedes global health programs intended to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. - Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Ethiopia
On July 5-9, 2010, three U.S. state legislators traveled to Ethiopia to better understand the role of U.S. foreign assistance aimed at improving the quality of reproductive health care. This report documents that trip and makes recommendations for improving effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance to advance the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls in Ethiopia. - Trends in U.S. Support for Global Female Condom Procurement, Distribution, and Programming
Historically, the U.S. government has shown strong support for international female condom procurement and distribution. However, U.S. leadership for female condom commodities has not extended to programming. This poster was developed for the 2010 XVIII International AIDS Conference.
Related Links
- Advocates for Youth
- AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families
- AIDS Education Global Information System (AEGIS)
- AIDS.org
- American Social Health Association (ASHA)
- amfAR
- Campaign to End AIDS
- Center for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA)
- Cervical Barrier Advancement Society
- Contraceptive Research and Development Program (CONRAD)
- EngenderHealth
- Global Action for Children
- Global AIDS Alliance
- HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies
- HIV InSite
- Housing Works
- International AIDS Society
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
- International AIDS Women Caucus
- International Community of Women Living with AIDS (ICW)
- International Council of AIDS Service Organisations (ICASO)
- International HIV/AIDS Alliance
- International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)
- International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC)
- JHPIEGO
- PEPFAR Watch
- Population Reference Bureau
- Prevention Now!
- Reproductive Health Matters
- The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
- The Female Health Company
- The Global Campaign for Microbicides
- Women, Children and HIV
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