The National Day of Women Living with HIV (NDWLHIV) celebrated women living with HIV as a community event and proved to be a valuable engagement to highlight existing issues of concern and unmet needs of all women living with HIV in Australia.
Australian women living with HIV are a diverse population and come from all different ages, ethnicities and sexualities. The experience of living with HIV is different for women than it is for men. Examples are seen in terms of the female body and experiences with antiretroviral treatments, hormones, HPV-related and breast cancers and reproductive health including pregnancy, childbirth, menstruation, contraception and breastfeeding.
There are also more invisible experiences that women living with HIV face which include mental health, domestic violence, stigma and discrimination, cultural and familial influences, isolation and intersectionality. It is only when we understand these differences that we can apply them to areas of health policy, programs, service delivery and research, to begin to address issues and unmet needs which affect all women living with HIV in their everyday lives.
Community Report:
Women, HIV and Life
