As an HIV epidemic evolves within a given region, new cases tend to occur in younger individuals, mostly adolescents and young adults. In addition, the sexual relationships of women are often with older men, who are more likely to be HIV-infected. These findings can be explained by the fact that, during sexual intercourse, a much larger proportion of infected fluid is passed from the male to the female than the other way around. Both of these reasons result from the inherent anatomic characteristics of the female host. Nevertheless, characteristics of the female host behavior or cultural environment again seem to favor proliferation of the disease.
Women tend to put their own health needs at a lower priority than the rest of the family.
They often get diagnosed with HIV disease as part of a prenatal evaluation rather than part of regular health maintenance. These characteristics of the female host put the women in a much more susceptible position for infection than men relative to the epidemiological triangle. The Role of the NP in Minimizing the Trend Unfortunately, a field-proven solution to the problem of increasing rates in female HIV infection is yet to be found. Foremost, the APN can strive to educate the female members of the community she serves, providing the widest possible range of information regarding the transmission, prevention, and available treatment for the disease. Particularly important is the adequate use of education to empower younger females in dealing with menacing situations.