AIDS in women

AIDS in women

HIV remains an important cause of death and illness in women. In the US, AIDS was the fifth leading cause of death among women aged 25-44 in 1998. In 1999, 32% of new HIV diagnoses were in women. Although HIV infected women have been observed to die earlier than men, it is believed that this difference in survival rates is caused by differences in access to care and delayed treatment rather than biological differences in disease progression.