| Women have greater susceptibility than men to HIV infection due to social, cultural and physiological reasons, and are now being infected at a higher rate. Though the HIV epidemic initially affected mostly men, today substantial numbers of people living with HIV are women. Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General, UN, noticed the feminization of HIV/AIDS across the Globe and observed that “increasingly, the face of HIV/AIDS is a woman's face". According to HIV Estimations published by NACO in the year 2014, the National Adult (15–49 years) HIV prevalence is estimated at 0.27%; the actual number working out to 19.43 lakhs among Adults (15+) of which 61% and 39% are males and females respectively. Highest number of PLHA live in Andhra Pradesh, the number being 4.19 lakhs among Adults (15+) of which male and female percentage works out 0.32% and 0.22% respectively. |