By looking at number of women living with AIDS today, we can determine that many more women were living with HIV in the 1980s than indicated. The only way to be sure of your HIV status is to get an HIV antibody test from a doctor, a health clinic, or an anonymous HIV testing site. For example, during vaginal sex, with all other factors being equal, a woman can be at a higher risk for contracting HIV than a man. Semen contains a much higher concentration of HIV than vaginal fluids. Semen stays in the vaginal canal so unlike men, women can t wash away bodily fluids after having sex.
Young women have less vaginal fluids than mature women.
This makes vaginal intercourse drier and delicate tissue more likely to tear. HIV can easily enter the body through these tiny tears. Open sores, in particular, provide easy points of entry for virus. Many STIs go undetected since women have few, if any, symptoms. Young women between 15 to 19 have the highest rate of STIs in Canada.