Sub-Saharan Women Affected by HIV/AIDS: The Perfect Storm of Risk Factors

This paper explores women’s health in the prevalence and incidence rates of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. The risk factors presented in the literature that are hypothesized to be responsible for the increasing rates of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan African women are identified. Risk factors discussed include biological factors, parasites, malnutrition, lower socioeconomic status, inti- mate partner violence, war, gender inequality and lack of education. These risk factors relate to multiple determinants of health: income and social sta- tus, education and literacy, employment, physical environment, gender and culture. The authors present their perspectives on mediating this epidemic, which involves reducing the ramifications of poverty on sub-Saharan women.