Women account for nearly half of HIV infections worldwide and almost two-thirds of those among young people, with female infections rising in almost every region. Yet twenty-five years into the global AIDS epidemic, there is still no widely available technology that women can both initiate and control to protect themselves from HIV. Due to gender norms and inequalities, many women and girls lack the social and economic power to control key aspects of their lives, particularly sexual matters. As a result, women are in a difficult, and often impossible, situation when it comes to negotiating with their partners over abstinence, fidelity, or condom use.
The AIDS epidemic is taking a devastating toll on families and communities worldwide. In its wake lies a growing burden of caring for the sick, the dying, and those left behind. In countries hardest hit, most of the care for people living with HIV takes place in the home, and up to 90% of that is provided by women and girls.