HIV emerged in the 1980s and 90s, males were more likely than females to contract the virus. However, globally, the majority of adults living with HIV are now females, according to United Nations data.The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) report that HIV is the leading cause of death in females aged 30–49 years and the third leading cause of females in females aged 15–29 years globally.The relative rates of males and females contracting HIV vary widely between countries, but data from the World Bank suggest that in Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, more than 60% of all those living with HIV are females.