The International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC) has released a report documenting the high incidence of sexual violence against adolescent females, and the likelihood of their contracting HIV as a result. The report found that the younger a female is when she first experiences intercourse, the more likely she is to have been sexually coerced. Experiencing a sexual act under force significantly increases a female’s chance of contracting HIV from an infected male, since it can cause bleeding and tearing, especially in the underdeveloped genital tract of young girls. The report recommends a comprehensive, aggressive strategy for combating sexual violence against adolescents and preventing the transmission of HIV. This strategy involves adopting policies against sexual violence, raising awareness about sexual violence, providing universal sexual education, creating safe places for girls and accessible health services for young people, and changing societal norms of interactions between men and women.
For the full report, click here.
Compiled from: “Triple Jeopardy: Female Adolescence, Sexual Violence, and HIV/AIDS,” International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC), June 2008.