Why is there a need for an organisation that works solely with HIV Positive Women?

" How did you get it?"
The question most often asked of positive women

This is mostly due to the assumptions people make that if a woman is HIV positive then she is a drug user or a sex worker. The latest statistics (as per the graph below) in Victoria show that most women are infected by a male who is classified as heterosexual.

Many positive women never thought they were at risk of being infected with HIV, until they were diagnosed. This leads to a number of additional issues including commencing treatment further into their illness. Many women need to understand the context of their relationship with the person who infected them. This can be a very difficult time including negotiations around the future of the relationship. All this at the same time as understanding the ramifications of being HIV positive.

It is important that as an organisation we understand that a high number of new infections are due to women coming to Victoria from countries with a high prevalence of HIV (greater than 1% of the population) or being infected by a man from a high prevalence country. Our support and advocacy encompass these women and their differing needs.

HIV affects women in ways that are quite different to most men. These include:

• Not having HIV on their radar prior to diagnosis
• Looking after children while being positive
• Undergoing menopause
• Becoming pregnant
• Differing treatment doses
• Caring for infected partners
• A different level of stigma around HIV
• Settling in to a new environment for women from overseas
• Reproductive health

Our organisation understands that these issues are real and can be worked through in an environment of support where women feel they can discuss their needs. We advocate to ensure women’s voices are on the agenda of stakeholders in Victoria and that the needs of our members are understood and addressed.

Graphs provided by Rebecca Guy from The Burnet Institute