Is the everyday talk of HIV/AIDS falling on deaf ears? ‘Careless’ is perhaps too mild a word to describe the women of today, who appear to be completely in-charge of their lives, yet throw caution to the winds, in life and death matters.
A new survey has shown that, nearly three out of four women, do not consider themselves to be at risk of getting HIV.The Body Shop and MTV got together for a research which showed that 70% of women felt they were exempt from the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. What is worse, nine out of 10 women surveyed, did not think it necessary to carry a condom in their hand bag, on a night-out; and 66% felt, having a condom in their bag would thwart the opportunity of a sexual encounter.
Nearly 71% of the respondents felt awkward if a condom slipped out of their bag. Further, only 32% of the women preferred to verify the partner’s sexual past. Some even felt, it was the man’s problem to carry a condom. Out of the 1064 women who were interviewed, about 47% of them felt, they might be labeled ‘ promiscuous’, if they are habituated to carrying a condom in their bag.
Chris Davis, global campaigns manager for The Body Shop, said: 'It's worrying that so many young women don't think they are at risk from HIV and think it is somebody else's problem - such as those in developing countries, homosexuals or drug users. In fact, figures show that HIV infections are spreading fast among girls and women in major cities.'
The cliché, 'better to be safe than sorry' still holds good, and women would do themselves and the world a great deal, if they just take note of this.
Source-Medindia
SAV
