March 10 is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day!
March 10 is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a reminder to get educated, get tested and get treated.
HIV and Women in New York City
In 2018:
430 cisgender and transgender women were newly diagnosed with HIV in New York City.
82% of new diagnoses among women were attributed to heterosexual contact.
34% of women newly diagnosed were born outside the United States.
Black and Latina Women accounted for the majority of new HIV diagnoses in women.
Of the approximately 26,000 women with HIV living in NYC in 2018, 77% had a suppressed viral load.
Women comprised a larger proportion of new HIV diagnoses in the Bronx and Staten Island than in other boroughs.
Take charge of your health.
Did you know that there is a pill that can help prevent HIV? Pre-exposure prophylaxis (also known as PrEP) is a daily pill that greatly reduces your risk of HIV infection, especially if you don’t always use condoms. PrEP can be an important HIV prevention option for women. If you are HIV negative, talk to your health care provider about whether PrEP may be right for you. You can also use the NYC Health Map to find a PrEP provider.
Click here to find National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day events in NYC where you can learn more about how to stay healthy, whether or not you’re living with HIV.
For more information on HIV in NYC:
Get Tested: Visit a Sexual Health Clinic, call 311, click “HIV Prevention Services” on the NYC Health Map or text “TESTNYC” to 877-877 to find local testing sites. Outside of NYC? Here’s the AIDS.gov testing locator.
Get Treated: If you are living with HIV, you can protect your health and your partners’ health by getting treated. Remember that if you are on treatment and maintain an undetectable viral load for at least six months, you will not transmit HIV through sex. Undetectable = Untransmittable! Text “CARE” to 877-877 for help finding HIV care or support services in NYC.
Learn More about PrEP and PEP: Daily PrEP is a prevention option that women can control; emergency PEP can stop HIV infection if started within 72 hours of exposure. Visit our PrEP and PEP page to get more info.
Stay Sure: Find out where you can pick up free NYC Condoms.
