HIV Prevalence Among Pregnant Women Aged 15-24

HIV Prevalence Among Pregnant Women Aged 15-24

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<div id="toc"><h2>Table of Contents</h2>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_definition"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Definition</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_rationale"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Rationale</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_gender-issues"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Gender Issues</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_data-issues"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Data Issues</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_references"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_see-also"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">See Also</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_external-links"><span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">External Links</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div><h2 id="w_definition">Definition</h2>
<p>As per the United Nations Development Group, HIV prevalence among 15–24 year-old pregnant women is defined as "<i>the percentage of pregnant women aged 15–24 whose blood samples test positive for HIV</i>."<ref name="UNDG">UNDG. (2003). Indicators for Monitoring the Millennium Development Goals. The United Nations. New York: The United Nations.</ref> This indicator addresses Goal 6 of the "Millennium, to combat "HIV/AIDS/AIDS, "Malaria and other diseases.<br />
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<h2 id="w_rationale">Rationale<br /></h2>
<p>HIV infection leads to AIDS. Without treatment, average survival from the time of infection is about nine years. Access to treatment is uneven, and no vaccine is currently available. <br />About half of all new HIV cases are among people 24 years of age or younger. In generalized epidemics (with prevalence consistently at more than 1 percent among pregnant women), the infection rate for pregnant women is similar to the overall rate for the adult population. Therefore, the indicator is a measure of the spread of the epidemic. In low-level and concentrated epidemics, HIV prevalence is monitored in groups with high-risk behavior because prevalence among pregnant women is low.<ref name="WB">The World Bank Group. (2004). HIV Prevalence Among Women Aged 15-24. Retrieved July 8, 2010, from The World Bank Group: Millennium Development Goals: http://ddp-ext.worldbank.org/ext/GMIS/gdmis.do?siteId=2&contentId=Content_t18&menuId=LNAV01HOME1</ref> <br />
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<h2 id="w_gender-issues">Gender Issues<br /></h2>
<p>Pregnant women are chosen for clinical surveillance, not because of gender issues, but because they offer a unique opportunity to monitor HIV/AIDS. <br />Throughout the world, the unequal social status of women places them at higher risk for contracting HIV. Women are at a disadvantage when it comes to access to information about HIV prevention, the ability to negotiate safe sexual encounters and access to treatment for HIV/AIDS once infected. As a result of those inequities and the dynamics of the epidemic, the proportion of women among people living with HIV/AIDS is rising in many regions.<ref name="UNDG" /><br />
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<h2 id="w_data-issues">Data Issues<br /></h2>
<p>Data for the 18th indicator of the Millennium Development Goals is not available because most developing member countries (DMCs) do not compile HIV prevalence among 15-24 year old pregnant women since they do not have administrative reporting systems on all pregnant women, by age group.<ref>Maligalig, D. (2003). Measuring the Millennium Development Goals Indicators. Asian Development Bank. Bangkok: ADB.</ref> <br />
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<h2 id="w_references">References<br /></h2>
<p><references /><br />
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<h2 id="w_see-also">See Also<br /></h2>
<ul><li>"HIV/AIDS/AIDS<br />
</li><li>"Millennium<br />
</li><li>"Maternal<br />
</li><li>"Under-Five<br />
</li></ul>
<h2 id="w_external-links">External Links<br /></h2>
<ul><li>The State of the World’s Children, annual, United Nations Children’s Fund <a href="http://www.unicef.org/publications" alt="http://www.unicef.org/publications">http://www.unicef.org/publications</a>.
</li><li>United Nations Children’s Fund, <a href="http://www.childinfo.org" alt="http://www.childinfo.org">http://www.childinfo.org</a>.
</li><li>World Health Statistics, annual, World Health Organization <a href="http://www3.who.int/whosis/menu.cfm" alt="http://www3.who.int/whosis/menu.cfm">http://www3.who.int/whosis/menu.cfm</a>.
</li><li>World Development Indicators, annual, World Bank <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/data" alt="http://www.worldbank.org/data">http://www.worldbank.org/data</a>.
</li><li>Human Development Report, annual, United Nations Development Programme <a href="http://www.undp.org/" alt="http://www.undp.org">http://www.undp.org</a>.
</li></ul>
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