When HIV/AIDS leaves children orphaned, girls are particularly vulnerable. Without the protection of their parents, they are often forced to drop out of school to work. This means they not only lose the chance to create a better future for themselves, they also miss vital information on avoiding HIV infection and treating AIDS. This is particularly a concern because children whose parents die of AIDS or AIDS-related diseases are more likely to become infected by the disease, and girls are more likely to become infected than boys.

As orphans, girls are also left to shoulder the greater burden of care. Even at a very young age, they often look after siblings and foster siblings, work in the gardens, put food on the table and run the household. Their emotional and physical well-being is jeopardized by these adult responsibilities. They also lose nearly every aspect of their childhood – an education, time to play and rest, participation in community activities and nurturing from adults.

AIDS orphans in Uganda are often stigmatized by their circumstances, and girls suffer the greatest for this discrimination. They may be mistreated or ignored by their guardians, their material needs may go unmet, they are at the greatest risk of malnutrition and they are unlikely to receive basic health care. Their labor is often exploited, and they are more likely than boys to be engaged in hazardous forms of labor. Orphaned girls also become victims of violence and sexual abuse, from which they may have no source of protection.