Women, AIDS and Western Heads East

Increasingly women are making up the largest group of AIDS victims. While AIDS was historically considered a gay disease, the present day state of AIDS demographics begs to differ. Almost half of all AIDS patients worldwide are now women. What is more far more striking is the AIDS prevalence in African girls. In parts of sub-saharan Africa, girls are almost 3 times more likely than boys to become infected, and 3 out of every 4 already infected children are girls.

Young women are especially vulnerable to AIDS. Lack of education regarding safe sex practices, an inability to demand safe sex practices resulting from socio-economic conditions, rape and sexual abuse, combined with a greater physiological susceptibility to the virus, puts women at a much higher risk than men. While AIDS preventation for all is absolutely necessary, there needs to be a special focus on women.

Western Heads East (WHE), as mentioned below, is one group taking on such an initiative. WHE is currently in Mwanza, Tanzania doing their part in AIDS prevention, especially in women. By means of a probiotic yogurt (see below), WHE is helping women to fight AIDS. The yogurt creates and maintains a level of vaginal acidity that creates an environment hostile to the HIV virus.

Women are quickly outnumbering men in AIDS infections. It is imperative that women are given the means to protect themselves, and WHE is doing just that. Please help them in continuing doing so. If you go to Western check around campus over the next couple of weeks for 1+1=positHIV posters, and come out the UCC and buy a red bracelet for $4. If you're not from Western worry not. You can make a donation through the WHE website: http://www.uwo.ca/hfs/housing/westernheadseast/make_donation.htm

It's a great group for a great cause. Do your part by helping WHE do theirs.