LONDON, Nov. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Nearly half of 37.2 million adults living with HIV were women, said a report from United Nations released on Tuesday.

    The number of women living with HIV has risen in each region ofthe world in the past two years, according to AIDS Epidemic Update2004, published by Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

    "Increasingly the face of AIDS is young and female," said Kathleen Cravero, deputy executive director of UNAIDS on a news conference held in London.

    In East Asia, there was a 56 percent increase over the past twoyears, followed by Eastern Europe and Central Asia with 48 percent,said Kathleen Cravero.

    According to the report, in sub-Saharan Africa, the worst-affected region, close to 60 percent of adults living with HIV are women.

    Women were more physically susceptible to HIV infection than men. Male-to-female HIV transmission during sex was about twice aslikely to occur as female-to-male transmission, the report said.

    In addition to being biologically vulnerable to HIV infection, many women and girls, particularly in Southern Africa, found themselves using sex as a commodity in exchange for goods, services, money, or basic necessities -- often with older men, thereport indicated.

    The report, released ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1, shows the number of adults and children with HIV reached its highest level ever in 2004 with an estimated 39.4 million, compared to about 36.6 million two years ago.

    Over three million people died of the illness in this year. Enditem