Studies show that women are falling behind in an effort to prevent HIV.
The Public Health Agency of Canada released a summary showing that in 2014 there were 595 new HIV cases among women in Canada.
In the past ten years Chatham-Kent has seen 17 cases.
Chatham-Kent medical officer Dr. David Colby says this isn't new information, but it's important to raise awareness that HIV is something that can be contracted by women - not just men.
"A lot of people still associate HIV as being a gay male disease and it's not," says Colby. "Anybody can get HIV."
He says women are in fact capable of getting HIV and should be informed about it and getting checked if necessary.
Colby says the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit offers free HIV testing and also offers to do the test anonymously.
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