Women and HIV in Canada - How are women becoming infected? How
are women becoming infected with HIV? Heterosexual sex
(unprotected vaginal intercourse) is the way in which the
majority of women living with HIV in Canada were infected,
followed by women who injected drugs and lastly, through blood
and blood products - before the blood supply was routinely
screened for HIV . The Risks for HIV Infection: Although
statistics are useful in monitoring the rates of HIV
transmission and prevalence among women in Canada, they do not
tell us the whole story. All women who engage in unprotected
vaginal or anal sex or use unclean needles for drug use,
piercing or tattooing are at risk for HIV transmission. However,
some women in our community are at increased risk because of
social, economic and political factors such as their immigration
status, poverty, homelessness and gender imbalance (the power
differences between women and men). HIV and Pregnancy
Unprotected sex (sex without the use of a latex condom), or sex
durin