The recent report from the National AIDS Commission (NAC) revealing a dangerous spike in HIV infections has, unfortunately, been met with a dangerous and misguided response in some quarters, with many casting a shadow of blame upon Liberian women. This narrative is not only factually incorrect but also a destructive diversion from the real issues at hand. Women are not the vectors of the epidemic; they are its most vulnerable victims. When we blame women, we ignore the men in the equation.
The data is clear and deeply concerning: an estimated 36,000 Liberians are now living with HIV, with women accounting for roughly two-thirds—approximately 24,000—of these infections. The prevalence rate among women is 1.2%, double that of men. However, to interpret this disparity as evidence that women are “the problem” is a profound and damaging misreading of the situation.
To be unequivocally clear: a woman does not acquire HIV in isolation. The science of transmission is straightforward. The alarming rates among women are not a reflection of their behavior, but a devastating indicator of their powerlessness in the face of systemic inequality and gender-based discrimination.
The real drivers of this health crisis are not women themselves, but rather a series of systemic failures that disproportionately expose them to risk. Biologically, women are physiologically more susceptible to HIV transmission during heterosexual intercourse, creating a foundational vulnerability. This vulnerability is then severely exacerbated by profound economic disempowerment, where poverty and financial dependence can force women into situations where they lack the power to negotiate condom use or refuse unwanted sexual advances.
Furthermore, limited access to comprehensive sexual education and easy-to-reach reproductive healthcare services leaves women without the essential knowledge or practical means to protect themselves from infection. We ignore the societal structures that permit violence and silence dissent. We ignore the economic systems that trap women in vulnerable positions. This blame is a tool of stigma, and stigma is a fuel for the epidemic, driving people away from testing and treatment for fear of being labeled “the spreader.”
The solution, therefore, does not lie in shaming women, but in empowering them and fixing the broken systems. The call by NAC Chairperson Dr. Cecelia Nuta for enhanced domestic financing and targeted interventions is a call to action we must all support. Relying on unpredictable international aid, as the recent U.S. funding freeze demonstrated, jeopardizes the lives of thousands. Liberia must take ownership of its health crisis.
As we approach World AIDS Day, our national response must be recalibrated with gender-sensitive precision. The planned community outreach and youth dialogues are crucial, but they must be explicitly designed to dismantle the very stigma this blame-game creates.
We therefore call for a comprehensive national response that explicitly condemns the stigma surrounding HIV by directing public health campaigns to actively counter the destructive narrative that blames women and to reframe the national conversation around the principles of shared responsibility and necessary systemic change.
This response must strategically invest in women’s autonomy by integrating HIV prevention initiatives with robust programs designed to promote girls’ education, foster economic independence, and ensure strong legal protections against violence. It is equally critical to strengthen the entire healthcare system by significantly increasing domestic funding to guarantee consistent, equitable access to essential services like testing, life-saving treatment, and modern prevention tools such as PrEP for everyone, with a dedicated focus on the most vulnerable populations.
Finally, this effort must proactively engage men and boys, ensuring that prevention programs specifically target them to promote the values of respectful relationships, unequivocal consent, and a shared sense of responsibility in sexual health.
The leadership of President Boakai as Chairman of the NAC Board is vital in championing this shift. We need political will that translates into policies protecting women, not persecuting them.
In conclusion, the question is not “Who is spreading the HIV?” The true question is: “What systems are failing to protect Liberian women?” Let us channel our collective concern not into blame, but into building a Liberia where every woman has the power, knowledge, and resources to live a healthy life, free from fear, violence, and stigma. Our nation’s health depends on it.
