National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is March 10: Did you know that approximately 280,000 women in the United States are living with HIV/AIDS, including 38,840 women in New York – more than any other state? Women of color make up approximately 90 percent of New York women living with HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately many of these women ages 30-49 transmitted the disease through heterosexual contact.
March 10th is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, In New York you can learn about the risks of HIV/AIDS and take action to protect your health, including getting tested for HIV.
Many women do not get tested for several reasons, and by the time they do get tested it is 
so late in the course of the HIV disease it has developed full blown AIDS. About 30% of women newly diagnosed in New York fall into the category of late diagnoses. New Yorkers are strongly advised to discuss the issue of HIV and encourage people to get tested and practice safe sex.”
Women should be tested for HIV if they have:
- had unprotected sex with someone whose status is unknown;
- been diagnosed with, or treated for hepatitis, tuberculosis, or a sexually transmitted disease like gonorrhea, chlamydia, or syphilis;
- had unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex with multiple partners, anonymous partners or men who have sex with men;
- injected drugs or steroids or shared equipment (such as needles, syringes, and works); or
- exchanged sex for drugs or money.
The earlier an HIV infection is diagnosed, the better the prospects are for maintaining an individual in good health and for preventing further transmission.
To schedule a free rapid HIV test call the toll-free confidential New York State DOH AIDS Hotline at 1-800-541-AIDS. Additional information about the Department of Health’s anonymous HIV counseling and testing program is available at http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/aids/testing/sites.htm
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