Some of Cemujer’s significant academic contributions to the issue of Gender Based Violence are in the area of HIV/aids. Cemujer is involved in an ongoing training of healthcare providers about issues of Gender and Gender Based Violence. This week Cemujer’s president Doris was involved as a panelist in the V National Forum for HIV/aids El Salvador 2008 “Youth and Prevention”. The President of Cemujer spoke on the subject of the “Feminization of HIV/aids”.

The issue of the Feminization of HIV/aids is especially relevant in a country with a record of violence like El Salvador. Even though it used to be more common among men, women have greater susceptibility to infection due to social, cultural, and physiological reasons, and are being infected at a higher rate. The statistics report that almost half of adults with HIV today are women not men. The number of women and girls who are infected has been steadily increasing.

The feminization of HIV and the epidemic has been attributed in large part to violence against women. In fact, they seemed to be so closely linked together that it has been suggested that the AIDS epidemic will not be won without seriously addressing the pandemic of violence against women. Rape and sexual assault continue to be major risk factors for HIV transmission and are common expressions of violence against women.

The work of the advocates and those who are attempting to eliminate violence against women is crucial in the fight against the spread of HIV/aids.