The World Health Organization recently conducted an international study on women's health, the first from the organization, and found that AIDS is now the leading cause of death and disease among women aged 15-44 worldwide.

Experts name unsafe sex as the primary risk factor in developing nations for women of childbearing age, thanks to extremely limited access to contraceptives in addition to iron deficiency. WHO also said that one in five deaths among women in this age group worldwide is linked to unsafe sex

"Women who do not know how to protect themselves from such infections, or who are unable to do so, face increased risks of death or illness," WHO said in a 91-page report. "So do those who cannot protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy or control their fertility because of lack of access to contraception."

The purpose of the study was to highlight the inequality in health treatment for women versus men. Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO chief, says women are at an advantage by nature because they generally live six to eight years longer than men, but in many parts of the world they suffer extreme disadvantages due to poverty, poorer access to health care and cultural norms that prioritize men's health over women's.

This "preventable tragedy" causes nearly 15 % of deaths in adult women during pregnancy, according to stats from 2004. Chan says discrimination against women begins at an early age, as their sicknesses aren't identified, studied and treated simply because of the fact that they aren't affecting males.

"We will not see a significant improvement in the health of women until they are no longer recognized as second-class citizens in many parts of the world," Chan told journalists in Geneva.

It's terribly sad to know that women in these underdeveloped countries are dying every hour as a result of simply being born female. Every person should have equal rights to health care, regardless of sex.

via AP