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The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth
World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
Secretariat.
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AS WRITTEN


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                       Excerpt from Press Release.
  The written statement was not available in a scannable language at the
                time of presentation in the conference.
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	DOROTHY BLAKE, Senior Advisor on HIV/AIDS, World Health
Organization (WHO), speaking as a co-sponsor of the United Nations
Programme on Aids (UNAIDS):  At the last women's conference, the question
of AIDS was not addressed.  Since then, much has been learned about the
disease.  Women who were initially at the periphery are now the group in
which infection is spreading the fastest and young women under 20 are the
most vulnerable group among young people.  Some eight million women have
been infected.  By the year 2000, 16 million will have been infected, of
which over four million will have died.  Millions of their children will
be infected and millions more left orphans.  The platform of action must
note that women are not at high risk because of sexual risk behaviour. 
Their vulnerability is both biological, as a receptive partner during
sexual intercourse and their gender role in society. The receiving partner
is four times more vulnerable to contracting the virus.  In many cases her
only risk factor for the disease is the risk- taking behaviour of her
partner.  In addition, the most effective barrier to transmission, the
male condom, is not under her control. 

	Education is the most important aspect of prevention as the
largest group to be infected is people under the age of 25. They must be
informed about how to protect themselves.  Programmes must be developed to
respond to the needs of HIV-positive women, their children and families. 
Enabling environments must be created.  There should be legislation
ensuring their rights and accessible services for care and support. 
UNAIDS, a joint co- sponsored programme established by UNICEF, UNDP,
UNFPA, UNESCO and WHO, is committed to supporting governments at the
global and national levels to coordinate United Nations response to the
epidemic in general and in women in particular.