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The
New Face of the AIDS Pandemic
AIDS
is
undeniably the plague of the 21st century – it is has
the power to wipe out entire generations of people, and it
will. Perhaps the most sobering thought however, is that transmission
of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is almost entirely preventable.
For the past twenty years, HIV
has been thought of as a disease that affects marginalized
populations: gay men, IV drug users, sex workers,
the poor. But the face of HIV disease has
changed dramatically, and most people are not aware of it.
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Did
you know that it is estimated that one million people
in the United States are infected with HIV? |
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Did you know that
of those infected, at least one third are women?
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Did you know that
the majority of these women were infected through heterosexual
sex? |
These
women are not “others” –
they are our sisters, daughters, mothers, and friends. And
until now, there was no single web-based source for
women-specific HIV information.
In September 2003,
after an exhaustive needs assessment that built upon more
than a dozen years of advocacy work, Dawn Averitt
Bridge, Founder of The Well Project, along with a
team of visual design, technology and content experts, launched
a web site created specifically for women with HIV disease
(www.thewellproject.org). The web portal
is a useful tool for finding current information on the treatment
and management of HIV disease and for connecting people
in search of a trusted, supportive, and protected
environment.
The articles are presented
in five sections: HIV: The Basics, Treatment
and Trials, Diseases and Conditions, Living Well,
and Women’s Center. All are written
in a conversational style, are available in a ‘printer-friendly’
version, and have a corresponding PowerPoint slide presentation.
The web site also features profiles of women living with HIV
disease, discussion boards, descriptions
of HIV-related events and conferences in the United States
and abroad, and many how-to guides to assist advocates and
others working in HIV care.
Since the launch of the web portal,
The Well Project team has begun to focus their efforts on
a campaign to further public awareness and education about
HIV disease among women. The
goal of this campaign is to change the way people think about
HIV and AIDS.
By de-stigmatizing HIV
and AIDS, we will begin to create an environment
where HIV+ women, and all people with this disease, are empowered
to seek treatment and care and are able to find support in
their communities. Ultimately, we believe that by mobilizing
the enormous power of women – women
from all walks of life – we will begin to stem the tide
of this costly pandemic. We hope you will join us by including
discussions and information about HIV and AIDS in your work,
your school system, your church, and your social circles.
Your voice will help.
In
the HIV pandemic, women aren’t invisible anymore.
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The Well Project is a company
conceived, developed and administered by HIV+ women and those
that are affected by this disease. The Well Project’s
mission is to improve access to treatment and care for women
living with HIV disease and to reduce the number of new HIV
infections among women. In order to reach this goal, we are
continuously working to develop new resources to educate, nurture,
and support the community of HIV+ women, their caregivers, and
their health care providers. We provide information and resources
free of charge. You can contact us via e-mail at info@thewellproject.org;
via phone at (828) 350-1755, or via the postal system at 700
Glenwood Avenue, Suite 100, Raleigh, NC 27605.
Think HIV isn’t your
problem? Think again.
- In 2002, 2 million women worldwide were infected with HIV.
- Half of all HIV infections occur in people younger than 25
years of age.
- In the United States, over 40,000 people are infected with
HIV every year; at least 30 percent are women. Change
the way you think about HIV.
Send this to a friend
and start talking. |
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 Megan
M. Raspa, MPH, joined The Well Project team as Project Manager in early
2003. She received a Master of Public Health degree from The University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Megan’s interest and expertise in
women’s health is evident from her previous experiences working in
HIV prevention and risk reduction education, adolescent and women’s
health behavior research, and conducting qualitative research on women’s
health experiences. She is delighted to be a part of such a talented team
working to make a difference in the lives of HIV+ women. |
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