Women lead the way in the HIV response

March 8 marks International Women's Day—the annual event that gives focus to issues including gender equity and inclusion, reproductive rights, and violence against women. In the field of HIV, the concerns posed by International Women's Day resonate particularly strongly. Women are disproportionately affected by HIV globally, and in some of the hardest hit regions, women bear the brunt of the epidemic in terms of both disease burden and care for those affected. UNAIDS estimates that 53% of people living with HIV in 2022 were women and girls. 46% of all new HIV infections worldwide were in women and girls. Every week in 2022 an estimated 4000 adolescent girls and young women acquired HIV globally, 3100 in sub-Saharan Africa, where almost 77% of new HIV infections among people aged 15–24 years were in adolescent girls and young women.