HIV and AIDS: issues for women in Australia.

The major HIV/AIDS-related issues facing women in Australia are outlined. From a global epidemiological perspective, women in Australia have almost gone unscathed by HIV infection. However, the potential for widespread infection cannot be ignored. The greatest threat for the majority of women in Australia is infection through sexual transmission. Although HIV infection is preventable, there are many social and economic factors that may hinder women's efforts to protect themselves. A major result of the global AIDS epidemic for women in Australia has been caring for a family member who has been infected with HIV. When a member of the family, usually a son, develops AIDS and is cared for at home, it is usually his mother who cares for him. She may face many difficult issues that may affect her health and well-being. Thus the small number of women infected with HIV in Australia does not accurately represent the impact the disease has had, and may potentially have, on the women of Australia.