WUNRN
HIV/AIDS - VULNERABILITY OF
ADOLESCENT GIRLS
ADOLESCENCE - STATE OF THE
WORLD'S CHILDREN 2011 - GIRLS
Direct Link to 16-Page Report
Summary:
Direct Link to 148-Page Full Report:
HIV/AIDS - "The risk of HIV
Infection is considerably higher among adolescent girls than adolescent
boys.....
The higher incidence of the virus
among girls and women is not solely a result of their greater psysiological
susceptibility. In many settings, adolescent girls and young women face a
higher risk of sexual violence and rape, both inside and outside of marriage. Child
marriage, though often intended by families to shield girls and young women
from physical and sexual risks, often fails to protect them from HIV and other
sexually transmitted diseases because condom use tends to be lower in long-term
relationships. Moreover, the available evidence indicates that adolescent girls
in child marriages, and young wome in general, have less say than their
partners over the use of contraceptives and over whether sex takes place at
all."