ABSTRACT
Introduction All over the world, HIV disease has become a leading cause of death among women. In many societies, in many cultures, being a woman is a significant risk factor for HIV infection. As more and more women become infected with HIV, an ever-increasing number of their children will be born also infected with this virus, eventually being robbed of their mothers, their childhood and, ultimately, their lives. In many large resource-poor countries, the uninfected children of HIV-infected parents will be destined to join the world of the ‘AIDS orphans’. Women are central to the concept of family: to nurturing, protecting and caring. They have complex relationships and structures in their daily lives and sophisticated and subtle responsibilities and commitments. Their demise, consequent to HIV disease, will increasingly rock the stability of communities in every country where the incidence of HIV infection and AIDS continues to escalate.
