Editor's note: A ceremony of healing and hope was held on November 4th at the Temple Beth-El Social Hall in Providence.

Holding a quilt panel in bottom photo from the left, Arthi Sundaresh, leader of Newport Youth Pride, Inc. and Beth Milham, a founder of AIDS Quilt Rhode Island. Other ceremony participants included Rabbi Sarah Mack, cantor Judith Seplowin, guitarist Debbie Waldman, AIDS Quilt Rhode Island chair Russ Milham, Carl Ferreira of AIDS Quilt Rhode Island, members of the AIDS Task Force, and the many friends and families of the quilt honorees.

This ceremony was sponsored by The AIDS Task Force, Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Rhode Island, AIDS Quilt Rhode Island, and UNITE HERE.

In photo above from left, R. Bobby Ducharme, co-chair of The AIDS Task Force (producer of ceremony); Providence Mayor David Cicilline; Cleve Jones, founder of The AIDS Memorial Quilt; and Debbie Blitz, co-chair of The AIDS Task Force. 

HIV/AIDS and women

HIV and AIDS were originally thought to affect mostly gay men. However, women have always been affected too. And even though more men than women have HIV, women are catching up. In fact, if new HIV infections continue at their current rate worldwide, women with HIV may soon outnumber men with HIV.

The good news is that many women with HIV are living longer and stronger lives. With proper care and treatment, many women can continue to take care of themselves and others.

In some respects HIV and AIDS affect women in almost the same way they affect men. For example, women of color (especially African American women) are the hardest hit. Younger women are more likely than older women to get HIV. AIDS is a common killer, second only to cancer and heart disease for women.

How are women getting HIV?
The most common ways are (in order):

1. having sex with a man who has HIV
2. sharing injection drug works (needles, syringes, etc.) used by someone with HIV.

Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website for further information, www.cdc.gov/hiv. Under the heading HIV/AIDS and Women, click on the tabs prevention challenges and what women can do. Printed with permission from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Rhode Island resources for HIV/AIDS prevention and education:
www.health.ri.gov/hiv/
www.ricpg.org
www.aidsquiltri.org

photos by Agapao Productions