Positively Dee for discussion about HIV/AIDS

Join us for HIV/AIDS discussion bringing awareness to the community. Historically, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has affected more men than women. However, if new HIV infections continue at their current rate worldwide, women with HIV may soon outnumber men with HIV. HIV infection impacts a growing number of women in Illinois each year. Nearly 7,000 women in Illinois are currently known to be living with HIV and/or AIDS. Many hundreds of other women are probably living with HIV even though they are unaware of their own infection. HIV/AIDS disproportionately impacts African-American women in Illinois and the United States. Nationally, HIV infection is the leading cause of death for African-American women between the ages of 25 and 34. In Illinois, the number of HIV cases among African-American women continues to climb. Roughly 68 percent of Illinois women living with HIV are African American, while African Americans only make up 15 percent of the Illinois population. Caucasian women account for 16 percent of Illinois women living with HIV, while the Caucasian population represents more than 73 percent of Illinois residents. Latina women represent roughly 11 percent of the HIV/AIDS cases in women, while 13 percent of the Illinois population is Latino. Roughly 4 percent of women with HIV are from Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander and other communities. Women in their 30s are the most likely to be living with HIV/AIDS, and almost all Illinois women living with HIV are between the ages of 20 and 50.