Apr. 2--NEW HAVEN -- AIDS Project New Haven has launched a group called Wise Women Win to deal with the growing numbers of post-menopausal women contracting AIDS through unprotected sex.
AIDS Project recently trained six women over 50 to be mentors and educators to women their own age, and each will head a group, said program coordinator Nick Boshnack. These women are now recruiting group members to educate them about HIV/AIDS and safe sex, and hoping their recruits will spread that knowledge among the senior community through word of mouth.
The agency has partnered with Yale University's Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on AIDS.
"There are women who are sexually active after divorce or after they are widowed. When they were married and first sexually active several decades ago, this wasn't around," Boshnack said. Many have little knowledge about HIV/AIDS but engage in unprotected sex because they are post-menopausal and have no concern about birth control.
Seniors may be considered a low risk group, but Boshnack said the stereotype doesn't reflect reality. "There are folks in retirement homes and senior centers who are very active."
The AIDS Research Institute at the University of California -- San Francisco reports that, nationally, HIV is rising most quickly in women over 50, and that risk increases with age. This year, the Centers for Disease Control reported that by 2005 people over 50 made up 19 percent of new diagnoses, 29 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS, and 36 percent of all AIDS deaths.
Complicating matters, HIV/ AIDS has very similar symptoms to aging, so doctors may not suggest an HIV test. In addition, women over 50 have more fragile skin and a thinner mucous membrane in the vaginal area, allowing the virus to pass through tears and rips with greater ease than in younger women.
Wise Women Win's leaders will give three training sessions to the women they recruit. These mentors are now recruiting women to join their groups.
The outreach has included senior centers, residential developments and even stores.
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