Women Now Account for Half of the People Living with HIV Worldwide
Women now account for half of the people living with HIV worldwide and represent one of the fastest growing populations affected by the disease. In the United States alone, 30 percent of new HIV infections occur in women.
An even more disturbing trend is already well established in the developing world. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) reports that two-thirds of newly infected people in developing countries are between the ages of 15 and 24, and of those, as many as 64 percent are female.
In sub-Saharan African and parts of the Caribbean, young women ages 15 to 24 are now twice as likely to be infected as males the same age, with girls infection rates in certain areas as high as six times that of their male peers. Recently published data from the CDC show that the US may be experiencing a similar shift. Among teens, girls accounted for more than half of new HIV infections reported in 2001.
Source: American Foundation for AIDS Research (AMFAR)
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.
