Women of all Ages, Races and Ethnicities Can Get HIV

Young women in the United States are at risk of getting HIV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than half of 13- to 24-year-olds living with HIV infection are undiagnosed. Some factors put young women at higher risk of HIV than older women. They include:  

• Biological reasons, such as how the vagina has a large area through which HIV can pass from semen. Also, young women and adolescents have immature reproductive systems, which may be more likely to receive HIV. Researchers are still studying the reasons that younger women get HIV easily.

 

• You may not know about HIV or how to prevent it

 

• You may have less power in your relationships. It may be hard to convince your partners to use condoms.

 

• You may not know your partners’ risk factors, such as a history of unprotected sex or injection drug use

 

• You are more likely than older women to have a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Having an STI can make someone more likely to get HIV. Small cuts on the skin of the vagina are hard to notice but may allow HIV to pass into a woman’s body.

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