Women 'more prone to HIV'

The Malta Medical Students' Association will be marking World AIDS Day in Malta on December 1.

In accordance with UNAIDS campaigns, this year the day will be dedicated to the effects of AIDS on women with the slogan Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS.

The association said education was the most powerful tool so far and campaigns such as those by MMSA tried to limit the number of victims locally. The number of registered patients currently hovers just above the 200 mark, association said.

Since the first cases were discovered in 1981, the number of victims of AIDS worldwide has grown to a staggering 39.4 million people in 2004 - 4.9 million of whom were new infections this year.

"Although we have known for a while how the disease is transmitted, only recently have we come to realise that women are more prone to HIV," MMSA said. There are various factors giving women a higher predisposition to HIV infection.

The first is that in heterosexual intercourse, females are the receiving partners and all receiving partners, whether male or female, are at a higher risk of contracting the virus.

Secondly, global averages show a higher level of education among men than among their female counterparts.

In addition, particularly in sub-Saharan societies, women do not have the freedom to choose safe sex because of impositions from religious or social beliefs. The final reason is the lack of availability of female-controlled prevention methods, such as microbicides, not least in Malta, MMSA said.

The association is appealing to the public to help in awareness promotion by wearing a red ribbon, which is the international symbol for AIDS awareness.

MMSA's activities for this year include a concert entitled Have You Heard Me Today? at Baystreet today at 7.30 p.m.

A treasure hunt to raise funds to cover the cost of activities will be held in Mdina on Sunday.

Public-awareness outreaches will be held together with the Health Care Students' Organisation in Paceville today, in Marsascala tomorrow, Gzira on Monday, the university campus on December 1, the Junior College on December 2, in Valletta on December 3 and at the Hal Far Refugee Centre on December 12.

A talk for medical student freshers and a public debate entitled The Female Face of AIDS will be held on Tuesday.

A candle vigil will be held in Valletta in association with the Malta Gay Rights Movement on December 1.

For more information on HIV/AIDS, or for completely confidential testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections call the genito-urinary clinic at Sir Paul Boffa Hospital on 2122 7981.

www.health.gov.mt/STIPC/guclinic.htm