Ask an American to name the leading cause of death for child-bearing women across the globe and I reckon he or she might say “heart disease,” “breast cancer” or maybe even car accidents. After all, those are some of the greatest killers for American women, ones we are warned to be aware of day-in and day-out.

But the World Health Organization just released the results from its first-ever study of women’s health around the world and the results are telling. HIV/AIDS, actually, is the #1 cause of death or disease for women between the ages 15 and 44 across the globe. Not surprisingly, unprotected sex from lack of access to contraceptives is one of the leading risk factors, warned the W.H.O. How sad: a disease most American women would never expect to die from is actually the leading cause of death for everyone else. [The New York Times]

Some exciting news in the medical world: a new HIV vaccine, called RV 144, has proved effective in reducing infection rates of the sexually transmitted disease by 31 percent. A combination of two previously tested vaccines, the formula was administered to some 16,000 people in Thailand as part of a three-year research program. Half the participants received a placebo, 74 percent of whom became infected with HIV. Comparatively, only 51 percent of the vaccinated group became infected. (Side note: Wow, still ... those are some pretty scary odds.) Interestingly, the American military played a role in the program because HIV poses a “national security threat.”

Das Commitee, an advertising agency in Hamburg, Germany, has just unveiled their ads for World AIDS Day, which happens on Dec. 1. The three-part series features photos of Hitler, Stalin, and Saddam Hussein gettin’ busy with models next to the slogan “AIDS Is A Mass Murderer.” Yikes. I know it’s for a good cause, but really, I never ever wanted to see history’s most horrible dictators doin’ it. See the full NSFW (thanks to some bare man butt and some heavy breathing) video here—it truly fits the definition of “viral.” [WOW Report]

This new AIDS Awareness campaign from One Life finally uses sex to sell an effective message—when you sleep with him, you’re sleeping with everyone in his past. Click on over to Trendhunter to see a few more graphic images—including a woman giving a blowjob to a handgun. One more image, after the jump…

In Nigeria, a government program is trying to stop the spread of AIDS by ... encouraging HIV-positive people to marry each other. The idea is that if they’re married, they won’t be as likely to spread the disease to others. And they’re giving serious incentives for tying the knot. In exchange for an “HIV-marriage,” the agency will pay a couple’s dowry, and even provide them with counseling and employment assistance. There is no actual evidence that these marriages reduce the spread of AIDS, but some couples do note serious benefits of marrying another person with HIV. Some have said that their marriage has provided them with a support group and reduced the stigmatization associated with this disease.

• A new “molecular” liquid condom has been developed that would prevent the transmission of AIDS during intercourse. The condom consists of a vaginal gel that turns semisolid in the presence of sperm, trapping the AIDS virus. [Medical News Today] – Sounds promising!

• “Twilight” has inspired clothing lines and greeting cards. Now, Mattel is launching two new Barbie dolls: Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. [People]—Sadly, Edward’s doll doesn’t do his steamy sex appeal justice.

As South Africa prepares to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the country is getting some attention for some not-so-positive news. Along with a high number of rapes, the country has long struggled to keep HIV/AIDS in check. With tourists pouring in for the huge soccer competition next June, the health minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, expressed concerns that the influx could lead to an increase in cases:

“2010 is going to come with good things but it may also come with dangerous things….I mean, we will be having lots of visitors here… we know there will be lots of visitors who come here for sex, you can’t hide that. It happens and what will be the effects on this country?”

South Africa is home to the world’s largest AIDS epidemic, with about 5.7 million people infected with HIV. Hosting the World Cup is huge for South Africa and could be very beneficial. Hopefully, tourists visiting the country will practice safe sex if watching soccer isn’t enough activity for them; no one wants to take home a virus as their souvenir. [Reuters]

A reader sent me an email and asked me if I would ever date someone with an incurable STD. She had recently been diagnosed with the HSV virus (that’s herpes, y’all), and wanted my answer to be honest and not “PC.” So here it is goes, my unvarnished, gut reaction to the question: No, I would not date someone with an incurable STD.

“16 And Pregnant”: it’s not just an MTV reality show, it’s also America’s scary reality! A Centers for Disease Control report just came out which discovered teen pregnancy increased in recent years. Teen birth rates rose during 2006 and 2007, after having decreased from 1991 to 2005.

More scary news is the number of AIDS cases in young men. CDC data shows that between 1997 and 2006, the number of men ages 15 to 24 with AIDS increased, as well. [ABC News]

Earlier this week, Lady Gaga took time out from pantslessness and boob explosions to volunteer at AIDS charity Body Positive North West in Manchester, England. “I want to make it fashionable to have safe sex,” she said. “You must be safe. You can have sex with hundreds of people with a condom on and get nothing. If you have sex without one, then you could get all sorts of problems.” Hey, if the singer can create a trend out of neglecting to put clothes on the lower half of her body, maybe she can get people to put on condoms.

While she was at the AIDS center, she helped paint the above mural that included her likeness. The hair-bow is accurate, but why is she wearing leggings? [The Advocate]

The Los Angeles County Sheriff is considering expanding a program that distributes condoms in a unit for gay men at Men’s Central Jail. Currently, an outreach worker from nonprofit Center for Health Justice stops by once a week to give one condom per inmate to the 300 men in that unit. Now they’re considering doubling the number of condoms being distributed. Sheriff Department officials say they spend about $2 million annually on HIV/AIDS medication and identify 65 new cases of HIV each month. “Sex in jails is against the law, but there is a public health issue that needs to be considered,” said spokesperson Steve Whitmore.

Of course, sexual health educators should still teach everyone to protect themselves against HIV/AIDS. But researchers have created an interactive online “HIV/AIDS Atlas,” which shows how only one-fifth of America’s counties make up 80 percent of the cases. It’s sometimes hard to make public health topics “interesting” and “cool,” but a map does a good job of it!

Okay, so I know pimps usually aren’t the nicest of guys. But in China, where there are now more than four million young female sex workers, some are resorting to a nasty trick—they’re telling their prostitutes that they’re giving them a shot to protect them from HIV and other STDs. Obviously, no such shot exists—they want their women to be more open to sex sans condoms. As a result, sex has overtaken intravenous drug use as the number cause of HIV dissemination in China. Although the Chinese government is trying its best to educate sex workers, in such a large country with so many women, this is nearly an impossible task. All I can say is: evil.

An estimated 26 percent of the population of Swaziland in Africa is HIV positive. But instead of instilling fear with grim AIDS campaigns, the Population Services International charity has introduced a new technique for raising awareness: The “love test.” (Check out the clip above.)

An article on CNN yesterday turned me on to Zimababwe native Betty Makoni, CNN hero of the week. She is a teacher, a volunteer, and the executive director of her organization, Girl Child Network (GCN), which boasts 30,000 members in Zimbabwe alone. She was also raped when she was 6 years old.

Check out this ad for MTV’s Staying Alive global HIV and AIDS prevention campaign. What better way to visually represent how people’s past sexual partners stay with them forever and become entangled than with name-shaped pubic hair! [Copyranter]

Swaziland parliament member Timothy Myeni recently had a lightbulb zinger of an idea to solve his country’s HIV/AIDS problem. He wanted to brand all HIV-positive people on the butt(ox), so that people could physically check their partners to make sure they’re clean before getting down with them. We get that this idea was well-intentioned, but seriously? Branding people. Like cattle? Thank lordy Myeni came to his senses. At a news conference today, he said, “I’m very sorry. If you need me to show a sign of how sorry I am, I’m ready.”

Myeni, we forgive you. But, really, how did this ever sound like an idea people would actually get behind? (Behind, hehe.) Myeni, if you’re out there, next time you’re proposing an idea, why don’t you think about how you’d like to be on the receiving end of it. No one likes being the butt of a joke. Okay, I’ll stop now.

Remembering to take birth control pills every day at the same time can be a hassle. Buying condoms adds another thing to our pages-long to-do list. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were an effective birth control and STD-preventative in one? Dr. Brij Saxena, a reproductive biology and endocrinology professor at the Weill Cornell Medical College, has developed a vaginal ring that may prevent sexually transmitted HIV and unintended pregnancy because it releases several types of non-hormonal agents and microbicides. The device has proven to prevent HIV infection in laboratory trials, Saxena said, and it could give women the power to protect themselves effectively and conveniently from an unintended pregnancy and HIV, if future clinical trials are successful.

It takes a lot for us to be excited by clothes designed by celebs (we blame you, Jessica Simpson), but we could really get behind, not to mention inside, any one of these tees designed to raise money for HIV/AIDS prevention projects. H&M and Designers Against AIDS asked a bunch of celebs we love, like Dita Von Tees, Yoko Ono and Estelle, to create T-shirts for the second annual Fashion Against AIDS Collection. Twenty-five percent of the profits on each tee sold will go to charities that help curb the spread of HIV.

And, of course, you’ll spread the safe sex message by wearing one. Cyndi Lauper’s tee reads, “Girls Just Want To Have Safe Sex,” and Estelle’s says “Life Is Too Short—Have Safe Sex.” Even Yoko Ono chimed with an “Imagine Peace” tee, which doesn’t have anything to do with safe sex, really, but what the hell, she’s Yoko Ono. The tees go on sale in 1,000 stores at H&Ms in 30 countries and at DesignersAgainstAIDSShop.com on May 28. [Designers Against AIDS]

1. AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and there is no cure. HIV weakens the body’s ability to fend off diseases and multiplies in lymph nodes. It destroys white blood cells and antibodies that make up the immune system. You can’t get it from hugging, dancing, high-fives, or sharing a can of soda. There are many myths about contracting AIDS and HIV. Women are at high risk and knowing your partner’s sexual history is one way to help keep you safe.