HIV disproportionately affects women and adolescent girls because of vulnerabilities created by unequal cultural, social and economic status. Unaccommodating attitudes towards sex outside of marriage and the restricted social autonomy of women and young girls can reduce their ability to access sexual health and HIV services.
Women and girls, HIV and AIDS 1 Women account for more than half the number of people living with HIV worldwide. ... 2 HIV disproportionately affects women and adolescent girls because of vulnerabilities created by unequal cultural, social and economic status. 3 Unaccommodating attitudes towards sex outside of marriage and the restricted social autonomy of women and young girls can reduce their ability to access sexual health and HIV services
Young women (aged 15-24), and adolescent girls (aged 10-19) in particular, account for a disproportionate number of new HIV infections. In 2017, 7,000 adolescent girls and young women became HIV-positive.