Gender and HIV
The National Aids Council (NAC) has a department that handles issues of gender and HIV.
This week we are going to focus on how women in Zimbabwe disproportionately experience the impact of HIV due to the unequal sexual relationships and inability to negotiate for safer sex. Most women living with HIV were infected by unprotected sex with an infected man. Preventing transmission is the responsibility of both partners. Men must play an equal role in this. The HIV and Aids epidemic impact upon women has also been worsened by certain roles within society. The responsibility of caring for people living with HIV and orphans is an issue that has a greater effect on women.
Below are facts and figures on gender and HIV:
for men it is the 45-49 age group
• Among currently married women, 18% reported physical violence and 27% reported sexual violence from their husbands.
• 42% of women in Zimbabwe have either experienced physical, emotional and or sexual violence at some point in their lives.
• 30% of all women have experienced physical violence since the age of 15.
• 22% of women had their first sexual intercourse forced against their will.
• 90% of all new HIV infections in children are from mother to child transmission of HIV which is preventable to a large extent.
• Mother to child transmission remains the second significant source of new infections.
• There is a growing number of adolescent girls in Zimbabwe who were infected with HIV at birth that are struggling with stigma and the challenges of relationships, sexuality and transition to womanhood.
• HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe in young women aged 15-24 is at 7,3% whereas in young men of the same age is at 3,6%
• Young women between the ages of 15 and 24 are particularly vulnerable to HIV and are twice more likely to become positive than their counterparts as a result of intergenerational sex (sex with older men).
• The age of sexual debut for young women is estimated at 6% before the age of 15 years and 18% by age 18 whereas for men its 2% by age of 15 years and 20% by age 18. What is NAC focusing on? Increased access to compre– hensive HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services for women and girls. Virtual elimination of mother to child transmis sion. Integration of reproductive health services with HIV. Improved health outcomes for young people and adoles– cents living with HIV. enhanced access to HIV care and treatment services for women and girls living with disabilities. Improved TB prevention and treatment and cancer screening for women and girls living with HIV. evidence informed research agenda for better planning, programming and imple– mentation of gender specific programmes. Women and girls empow ered to drive the transforma tion of social norms and power dynamics with the engagement of men and boys working for gender equality in the context of HIV. Women and girls need to be responsible for their health by abstaining or engaging only in safe sex.
The female condom is one of the female-initiated HIV preven- tion methods presently available. These condoms can potentially help women to protect themselves from becoming infected with HIV if used correctly and consistently. however, although the female condom allows partners to share the responsibility of condom use, it still requires some degree of male cooperation. Women and girls should know their HIV status and encourage their family members to get tested for HIV and seek treatment early where necessary. Mothers as caregivers should remind those on treatment to take their medicines consistently as prescribed by health personnel.