The STD epidemic, with 333 million new cases a year, thus fuels the AIDS epidemic. AIDS prevention campaigns often fail women by assuming that they are at low risk, or by urging prevention methods that women have little or no power to apply, such as condom use, abstinence and mutual fidelity. Women continue to make strides towards equality with men. Wherever they are educated, able to generate income, and enjoy equal protection under the law, they are in a position to have some control over their economic, social and personal life. But for millions of women, these goals are still remote.
Women are also more vulnerable to other sexually transmitted diseases.
As compared with men, women have a bigger surface area of mucosa exposed during intercourse to their partner's sexual secretions. And semen infected with HIV typically contains a higher concentration of virus than a woman's sexual secretions. Younger women are at even greater biological risk. There is evidence that women again become more vulnerable after the menopause. Throughout the world, women run a similar risk from unprotected anal intercourse.