Today is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and along with about 1,200 other bloggers around the country, I signed up to be a Red Pump Blogger and dedicate a post to talking about the impact of HIV and AIDS on women. The Red Pump Project raises awareness about the impact of HIV and AIDS on women and girls. Red Pump uses the red shoe as a symbol of empowerment to represent women affected directly and indirectly by HIV and AIDS.

Currently an estimated 300,000 women are living with HIV in the United States. An estimated 1 in 5 people living with HIV do not know their status. Every 9 1/2 minutes someone new becomes infected with HIV in the U.S. alone. While advances in treatment have helped to greatly prolong the lives of people living with HIV and help to make it a chronic, manageable condition, people are still dying from AIDS-related complications in this country.

Here are some links to more information:

• The Red Pump Project’s blog regularly posts information specifically on the impact of HIV and AIDS on women and girls in the United States.
• Visit http://www.hivtest.org/ to find a place near you to get an HIV test. I believe having an HIV test is just as important as any health screening. I have been tested 4 times in the last 8 years. With the new oral tests, you don’t even need to have your blood taken!
• If you’re on Twitter, there will be a townhall meeting today at 1:30 pm CST. Follow the Red Pump Project on Twitter @RedPumpProj.
• If you live in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago or Dallas, check out details on some cool events taking place near you.
• Check out the Positive Women’s Network website to learn more about the concerns and leadership of women living with HIV in the United States.