WHO names AIDS virus leading cause of death for women

In the first of its kind, a study analyzing women's health issues concluded AIDS is the No. 1 killer of women aged 15-44 worldwide.

On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report on women's health issues seeking to critique the unequal treatment of women in various parts of the world. The study said AIDS is the leading cause of death for young women between the ages of 15 and 44. Approximately one in five female deaths from this age bracket are related to unsafe sex. AIDS has been a pandemic for decades, crossing economic, social and sexual barriers. But in some parts of the world, women are particularly vulnerable to the disease and its effects. According to the report, unprotected sexual encounters are obviously the leading risk-factor in transmitting the disease. Also, in many countries, birth control of any kind is discouraged and often outlawed, making it extremely difficult to access contraceptives. "Women who do not know how to protect themselves from such infections, or who are unable to do so, face increased risks of death or illness," said the report. "So do those who cannot protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy or control their fertility because of lack of access to contraception." According to Dr. Margaret Chan in an interview with the Associated Press, women suffer serious disadvantages because of poverty, poorer access to health care and cultural norms that put a priority on the well-being of men, rather than their female counterparts. Chan also said that the male-centric discrimination extends throughout the entirety of a woman's life, from birth until old age. In some parts of South Africa for example, infant rape is relatively commonplace with up to 60 children raped per day in that country alone. The reasoning behind this is the myth of "the virgin cure." According to an article in the magazine Science in Africa, it is a widely held belief that if you're infected with AIDS or HIV, having sex with a young, female virgin will cure it. South Africa is home to about 4.5 million people with AIDS or HIV. By continuing this practice, the disease is spreading like wildfire among residents. "We will not see a significant improvement in the health of women until they are no longer recognized as second-class citizens in many parts of the world," she said.