Women, especially young women, may be more vulnerable because they may be afraid to say no to sex or to insist that their partner use a condom. This places women at increased risk for many sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV. The remaining new cases in Illinois are largely due to sharing needles and works while using injection drugs.ĭuring heterosexual intercourse, women are usually more exposed to bodily fluids than their male partners. The majority of new HIV cases in women are the result of sexual behaviors roughly two out of every three new infections in women are the result of unprotected sexual intercourse. What places Illinois women at risk for HIV/AIDS? Women in their 30s are the most likely to be living with HIV/AIDS, and almost all Illinois women living with HIV are between the ages of 20 and 50. Roughly 4 percent of women with HIV are from Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander and other communities. Latina women represent roughly 11 percent of the HIV/AIDS cases in women, while 13 percent of the Illinois population is Latino. Caucasian women account for 16 percent of Illinois women living with HIV, while the Caucasian population represents more than 73 percent of Illinois residents. Roughly 68 percent of Illinois women living with HIV are African American, while African Americans only make up 15 percent of the Illinois population. In Illinois, the number of HIV cases among African-American women continues to climb. Nationally, HIV infection is the leading cause of death for African-American women between the ages of 25 and 34. HIV/AIDS disproportionately impacts African-American women in Illinois and the United States. Many hundreds of other women are probably living with HIV even though they are unaware of their own infection. Nearly 7,000 women in Illinois are currently known to be living with HIV and/or AIDS. HIV infection impacts a growing number of women in Illinois each year. However, if new HIV infections continue at their current rate worldwide, women with HIV may soon outnumber men with HIV. Historically, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has affected more men than women.