How HIV Is Different for Women

During vaginal or anal sex between a man and a woman, the woman is at higher risk of getting HIV because she is the receptive partner. Older women are also at higher risk during penetrative sex because of age-related vaginal thinning and dryness.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART), the treatment for HIV, can make birth control pills, patches, rings, and implants less effective. Women in treatment for HIV may need to use a different form of birth control.

Women with HIV may be more likely than other women to get certain STDs like genital herpes and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The symptoms might also be more severe than they are in women who don’t have HIV.

Yeast infections tend to crop up more often and are harder to treat when you have HIV. If you have advanced HIV or AIDS, you’re more likely to have recurring yeast infections – those that happen four times a year or more.

BV is a condition that happens when the normal makeup of bacteria in your vagina gets thrown off balance. HIV increases your risk for BV and makes it more difficult to treat.

When you have HIV, you might notice changes in your flow. Some people get heavier periods. Others see less bleeding than normal. Some women skip periods all together. You may also deal with worse PMS, including more serious mood swings, tender breasts, food cravings, fatigue, irritability, and depression. 

The types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause cervical cancer seem to be more common in women who have HIV. That means your risk for cervical cancer is higher, too.

HIV treatments work the same way in all people, but women sometimes have different side effects than men do. Nevirapine (Viramune or NVP) can cause rashes and liver problems in women with high CD4 counts. Ritonavir (Norvir or RTV) can cause nausea and vomiting in women.

Menopause tends to come earlier in women who have HIV. Hot flashes may be more severe, too.

Having HIV increases the risk of heart attack in both women and men, but it's worse for women. HIV-positive men are 1.5 times more likely to have a heart attack than HIV-negative men, but HIV-positive women are three times more likely to have a heart attack than HIV-negative women.