The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts has announced a $270,400 grant to begin a program to address the issues of HIV/AIDS and sexual violence in women, reports the Worcester Telegram & Gazette News (telegram.com, 2/13).
The program, the “Women’s HIV/Sexual Violence Initiative,” is a collaboration between several Massachusetts women’s and family health groups and AIDS service organizations. The groups hope to tackle the growing number of women becoming infected with HIV by providing culturally appropriate educational information in places such as nail and hair salons, laundromats, neighborhood centers and faith communities.
“Most of these women are women of color, and they are becoming infected through sexual violence, often by men with whom they are having a relationship and with men who know that they are infected,” said Janice B. Yost, president and CEO of the Health Foundation. “This is a woman’s worst nightmare, to be sexually violated by someone we think cares for us, and to end up with HIV as a result.”
The Health Foundation expects to provide additional funding of approximately $1 million to the program over the next three to five years.
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