AIDS: Leading Cause of Death in Women November 10
The first study of women’s health on a global scale has pointed to AIDS as the leading cause of death and disease among women between the ages of 15 and 44. This information was released by the World Health Organization in a 91-page report.
The leading culprit behind this finding, especially among developing countries, was reportedly determined as unsafe sex; for others, lack of access to contraceptives as well as iron deficiency were also found to be risk factors. In some countries, women either do not have sufficient knowledge on how to protect themselves or have difficulty doing so due to cultural barriers or lack of resources.
Women who face these circumstances also face higher risk of death or disease. On a global scale, one in five women die due to reasons that can be traced back to unsafe sex.
The report is reportedly an attempt to bring to light the plight of women across the globe who experience unequal health treatment by virtue of the fact that they are who they are – women. There are places where this discrimination happens from infancy through adolescence and adulthood, all the way through to old age.
Dr. Margaret Chan, Chief of the World Health Organization, indicated that biologically speaking, women ought to have the upper hand when it comes to longevity as they are predisposed to live at least six years longer than men. They lose this biological advantage in some parts of the world, however, where women live in poverty, lack sufficient access to health care and live in a culture where their well-being takes a back seat to that of men.
Dr. Chan was also quick to note that the improvement of women’s health on the global perspective will only see improvement if their status in some countries that still do not give them equal rights are improved.
Tags: leading cause of death, women AIDS, women's diseases, women's health