Global AIDS
conference draws to a close

Tales of hope mixed with those of despair at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto, which drew to a close on Friday.

Among many messages that arose out of the conference, which was attended by over 21,000 health professionals, was that women are increasingly becoming the new face of HIV/AIDS. The number of women with the disease now equals that of men.

"HIV/AIDS is progressively taking on the face of a woman," said Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to Agence-France Presse. "It's absolutely essential that we address the special concerns of women and allow them to protect themselves."

Other issues covered at the conference included providing treatment to the over 39 million HIV-positive individuals, including the often ignored drug addicts and prison inmates. Attendees also exchanged ideas on rolling back the number of new infections worldwide, which numbers 4 million annually.

Strategies were also discussed at reeducating younger gays, who are abandoning safer-sex practices that older generations have adopted. (The Advocate)