HIV/AIDS

“As a woman living with HIV, one of the most important relationships you will have is with your doctor. Finding the right doctor can have a big impact on your well-being…”.1

Umbrella
What may the HIV/AIDS Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • AIDS
  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
  • HIV
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

HIV

What is the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)?

DotS the definition of HIV may vary. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition is:

“The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) targets the immune system and weakens people’s defense against many infections and some types of cancer that people with healthy immune systems can fight off. As the virus destroys and impairs the function of immune cells, infected individuals gradually become immunodeficient. Immune function is typically measured by CD4 cell count”.2

How can HIV be transmitted?

In HIV/AIDS: Transmission the WHO explain:

“HIV can be transmitted via the exchange of a variety of body fluids from infected people, such as blood, breast milk, semen and vaginal secretions. HIV can also be transmitted from a mother to her child during pregnancy and delivery. Individuals cannot become infected through ordinary day-to-day contact such as kissing, hugging, shaking hands, or sharing personal objects, food or water”.3

AIDS

What is acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)?

DotS the definition of AIDS may vary. In HIV and AIDS: Overview the (United Kingdom) NHS’s definition is:

“AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the name used to describe a number of potentially life-threatening infections and illnesses that happen when your immune system has been severely damaged by the HIV virus”.4

The WHO’s definition is:

“The most advanced stage of HIV infection is acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which can take many years to develop if not treated, depending on the individual. AIDS is defined by the development of certain cancers, infections or other severe long-term clinical manifestations”.5

Common or Not

How common is HIV?

In HIV/AIDS: Key Facts the WHO note:

  • “There were an estimated 37.7 million [30.2–45.1 million] people living with HIV at the end of 2020, over two thirds of whom (25.4 million) are in the WHO African Region”.6

Women

How many women are affected by HIV?

In Women and Girls, HIV and AIDS Avert elaborate on:

  • “Of all new HIV infections in 2020 among adults, 51% were among women”.7

In HIV and AIDS the Office on Women’s Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Womenshealth.gov note:

“One in four people in the United States with HIV is female. In the United States, women are most likely to get HIV from having sex with a man”.8

HIV Test

How do you know if you have HIV?

In Get Tested for HIV: The Basics: Overview the (United States) MyHealthfinder elaborate on:

“The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. You could have HIV and still feel healthy”.9

STDs

Is there an association between sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV?

In HIV/AIDS & STDs: STDs and HIV – CDC Fact Sheet: Why Does Having An STD Put Me More At Risk for Getting HIV? the (United States) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explain:

“If you get an STD, you are more likely to get HIV than someone who is STD-free. This is because the same behaviors and circumstances that may put you at risk for getting an STD also can put you at greater risk for getting HIV. In addition, having a sore or break in the skin from an STD may allow HIV to more easily enter your body. If you are sexually active, get tested for STDs and HIV regularly, even if you don’t have symptoms”.10

Menopause

Is there an association between menopause and HIV?

In Menopause and HIV: Menopause In People Living With HIV dated January 2021, the (United Kingdom) Aidsmap explain:

“The interaction between menopause and HIV is under-researched, but the evidence base is growing.

Women living with HIV often experience menopausal symptoms. A number of studies have found that women living with HIV are more likely to experience symptoms than women who do not have HIV. This includes sexual symptoms such as a lack of interest in sex and vaginal dryness, bodily symptoms such as hot flushes, and psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety”.11

Health Care Provider

What if I think I have HIV?

If you think you have HIV, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this as soon as possible.

In HIV and AIDS: Living With HIV – Finding Your HIV Care Team Womenshealth.gov elaborate on:

“As a woman living with HIV, one of the most important relationships you will have is with your doctor. Finding the right doctor can have a big impact on your well-being”.12

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics related to HIV/AIDS?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to HIV/AIDS?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.

  1. A Double Whammy: The Impact of HIV and Menopause on Bone Mineral Density
  2. A Girl Like Me LIVE Episode 18: Criminalization and Women Living With HIV
  3. A Girl Like Me LIVE Episode 19: Mothers and Daughters: Navigating An HIV Diagnosis
  4. A Girl Like Me LIVE Episode 20: Navigating Mental Health Care
  5. About HIV: Clear and Reliable Information on All Aspects of HIV
  6. About PrEP [+ Video: PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis)]
  7. Age At Menopause In Women Living With HIV: A Systematic Review
  8. Aidsmap: Dr Shema Tariq on the Menopause and HIV – GROWS Project [Video]
  9. Aidsmap: Women
  10. Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
  11. Avert.org [Global Information and Education on HIV and AIDS]
  12. COVID-19 and HIV [+ Video: Are You at Higher Risk for Sever Illness?]
  13. Clinicalinfo.hiv.gov [Clinical Info HIV.gov]
  14. HIV/AIDSConsumer Health: Preventing HIV/AIDS — Know How To Keep Yourself and Others Safe
  15. Contraception: Information for People With HIV
  16. Coronavirus (COVID-19) and People With HIV
  17. Early HIV Symptoms: What Are They?
  18. Frontlineaids.org [Frontline AIDS]
  19. Glossary
  20. Guide To Menopause for Women Living With HIV: A Guide To Menopause for Women Living With HIV
    HIV/AIDS
  21. HIV
  22. HIV Basics
  23. HIV Basics
  24. HIV Risk Reduction Tool
  25. HIV Testing
  26. HIV Testing: Questions for the Doctor
  27. HIV Treatment
  28. HIV Treatment
  29. HIV and COVID-19 Basics
  30. HIV and Women
  31. HIV and Women Who Have Sex With Women Fact Sheet
  32. HIV and Women’s Health Issues: Gynecological Health Issues and HIV
  33. HIV and Women’s Health Issues: How Does HIV Affect Women Differently?
  34. HIV and the Menopause: A Review
  35. HIV/AIDS
  36. HIV/AIDS
  37. HIV/AIDS & STDs
  38. HIV/AIDS In Women
  39. HIV/AIDS Medicines
  40. HIV: About HIV
  41. HIV: Basics
  42. HIV: HIV Risk and Prevention
  43. HIV: HIV Testing
  44. HIV: HIV and Women
  45. Hiv.gov
  46. How Do Women Living With HIV Experience Menopause? Menopausal Symptoms, Anxiety and Depression According To Reproductive Age In A Multicenter Cohort
  47. How Do You Get HIV? [+ Video]
  48. How Is HIV Transmitted?
  49. Languages
  50. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Early and Premature Menopause [+ Video: Menopause Only Happens In Your 50s]
  51. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Menopause and Your Mental Wellbeing [+ Video: Menopause Only Affects You Physically!]
  52. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Signs and Symptoms [+ Video: Talking Menopause With Your GP]
  53. Let’s Stop HIV Together
    Let’s Stop HIV Together
  54. Low Sexual Function Is Associated With Menopausal Status In Mid-Aged Women With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection
  55. Mayo Clinic Q&A Podcast: The Importance of HIV Testing [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic]
  56. Menopausal Women Living With HIV Need Better Information on How To Manage Symptoms
  57. Menopause
  58. Menopause
  59. Menopause Care In Women Living With HIV In the UK – A Review
  60. Menopause Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
  61. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
    HIV/AIDS
  62. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
    HIV/AIDS
  63. Menopause Symptoms Delineated By HIV Clinical Characteristics In African American Women With HIV
  64. Menopause and HIV [+ Slide Presentation]
  65. Menopause and HIV [+ Video]
  66. Menopause and Women Living With HIV
  67. Menopause for Women Living With HIV: How Can We Support Women Through This Transition? [Webinar]
  68. More Questions Than Answers When Managing HIV and Menopause
  69. Nat.org.uk [National AIDS Trust, United Kingdom]
  70. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) /AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
  71. National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
  72. National HIV Testing Day – June 27 [United States]
  73. National HIV/AIDS Strategy (2022-2025) [United States]
  74. On Our Own Terms (OOOT)
  75. Positivelyuk [Positivity UK: GROWS Women With HIV Growing Older Wiser and Stronger]
  76. PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis)
  77. Prevalence and Correlates of Early-Onset Menopause Among Women Living With HIV In Canada
  78. HIV/AIDSPositive tRansItions Through Menopause (PRIME) [+ Menopause In Women Living With HIV In England: Findings From the Prime Study]
  79. Protect Yourself During Sex [+ Video: HIV Prevention]
  80. STDs and HIV – CDC Fact Sheet
  81. Safer Sex
  82. Sex and HIV
  83. Sophiaforum.net [Sophia Forum, United Kingdom]
  84. T-Cell Count
  85. Thewellproject.org [The Well Project, United States]
  86. Unaids.org [UNAIDS]
  87. Video Series-2021: How Menopause Symptoms Can Affect Your Quality of Life
  88. Video Series-2022: Discussing Sexual Health Concerns With Your Health Care Professional
  89. Video Series-2022: Hormone Therapy: Understanding the Risks and Benefits
  90. Video Series-2022: Irregular Menstrual Cycles What’s Normal and What’s Abnormal?
  91. Video Series-2022: Perimenopause, Signs, Symptoms, and Solutions
  92. Videos and Podcasts: Interviews and Podcasts – Interviews: The Menopause Blues
  93. Ways HIV Can Be Transmitted
  94. Webinars: Previous – Sexual Health Issues in Menopause
  95. What Are HIV and AIDS? What Is AIDS?
  96. What Are HIV and AIDS? What Is HIV?
  97. What To Know About HIV and COVID-19
  98. Women and Girls, HIV and AIDS
  99. Women and HIV
  100. World AIDS Day 1 December 2021: End Inequalities. End AIDS. End Pandemics.

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. HIV and AIDS: Living With HIV – Finding Your HIV Care Team. Last Updated: 18 February 2021. Office on Women’s Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Womenshealth.gov https://www.womenshealth.gov/hiv-and-aids/living-hiv Accessed: 03 June 2022
  2. HIV/AIDS: Key Facts. 30 November 2021. World Health Organization https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids Accessed: 03 June 2022
  3. HIV/AIDS: Transmission. 30 November 2021. World Health Organization https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids Accessed: 03 June 2022
  4. HIV and AIDS: Overview. Page Last Reviewed: 22 April 2021. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hiv-and-aids/ Accessed: 03 June 2022
  5. HIV/AIDS: Key Facts. 30 November 2021. World Health Organization https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids Accessed: 03 June 2022
  6. HIV/AIDS: Key Facts. 30 November 2021. World Health Organization https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids Accessed: 03 June 2022
  7. Women and Girls, HIV and AIDS. Last Updated: 18 March 2022. Last Full Review: 01 March 2022. Avert https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-social-issues/key-affected-populations/women Accessed: 03 June 2022
  8. HIV and AIDS. Page Last Updated: 18 February 2021. Office on Women’s Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Womenshealth.gov https://www.womenshealth.gov/hiv-and-aids Accessed: 03 June 2022
  9. Get Tested for HIV: The Basics: Overview. Content Last Updated: 01 June 2022. MyHealthfinder https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/topics/health-conditions/hiv-and-other-stds/get-tested-hiv Accessed: 03 June 2022
  10. HIV/AIDS & STDs: STDs and HIV – CDC Fact Sheet: Why Does Having An STD Put Me More At Risk for Getting HIV? Page Last Reviewed: 12 April 2022. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/std/hiv/stdfact-std-hiv.htm Accessed: 03 June 2022
  11. Menopause and HIV: Menopause In People Living With HIV. Last Reviewed: January 2022. Aidsmap https://www.aidsmap.com/about-hiv/menopause-and-hiv Accessed: 03 June 2022
  12. HIV and AIDS: Living With HIV – Finding Your HIV Care Team. Last Updated: 18 February 2021. Office on Women’s Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Womenshealth.gov https://www.womenshealth.gov/hiv-and-aids/living-hiv Accessed: 03 June 2022

Topic Last Updated: 28 June 2022 – Topic Last Reviewed: 03 June 2022
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