Women at risk

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 10:07:34 +0000

…as HIV/AIDs remains ‘epidemic of females’

By ANNIE ZULU

Young women and adolescent girls in particular account for a disproportionate number of new HIV infections among young people living with HIV.

According to Zambia’s most recent demographic and health survey, the country’s overall HIV prevalence rate is 14 percent, with women at the forefront.

The survey further indicates that women between 15 and 49 years have an infection rate of 16 percent, while men in that age range have 12 percent.

But why are women particularly at risk of HIV?

Gender activist Gladys Mutukwa said gender inequality was one of the major factors contributing to the higher number of women infected with HIV in the country.

Ms Mutukwa noted that the vice had continued to prevent many women, particularly young women, from protecting themselves against HIV.

She explained that majority of women, whether in marriage or relationships, had no say on sexual related issues because societal norms requires them to be submissive to their partners.

“Our society expects women to be loyal to their partners even if they are in an abusive relationship or their partner is engaged in unprotected extramarital sex,” Ms Mutukwa said.

She adds that low economic and social status also left women more vulnerable to infection than their male counterparts.

“When you look at the economic position of women, it’s very low. Most women find themselves totally dependent on their male partner and that tends to limit their negotiating power in terms of safer sex,” she said.

National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) executive director Aaron Chansa believes that lack of access to education was also contributing to the high risk of HIV infection rate among young women.

He said education attainment was higher among young men than young women; therefore men were more likely to be exposed to HIV education.

“As many girls drop out of school, their male peers are more likely to access comprehensive sex education and this eventually helps them to be aware of HIV and how to negotiate relationships. So it is crucial that access to education is scaled up for women,” he said.

And Coalition of Zambian Women Living with HIV/AIDS (COZWHA) representative Stella Chinkuli cited lack of access to healthcare services as another factor contributing to the high number young women getting infected with HIV in Zambia.

Ms Chinkuli said women face significant barriers to accessing healthcare services.

She observed that youth-friendly Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and HIV services were inadequate in the country.

“Lack of access to comprehensive HIV and SRH services mean that women are less able to look after their sexual health and reduce their risk of HIV infection,” Ms Chinkuli said.

She said stigma and discrimination by some healthcare professionals also created additional barriers.

“Judgmental attitudes of healthcare professionals around youth sexuality can result in the denial of healthcare services, while others are coerced into using them,” she said.

However, there may be light at the end of the tunnel of discrimination and stigma for women and HIV.

Despite the challenges there is new hope for young women in Zambia as efforts are being made by Government and various stakeholders to reduce HIV infection rate among young women.

In 2015, Government enacted the Gender Equality and Equity Bill which has become law aimed at changing the unequal structure of society. The law is intended to stop women being disproportionately affected by HIV.

The Ministry of Gender has taken the lead in ensuring that the law is fully implemented and has come up with various programmes aimed promoting girl child education and gender equality and women empowerment.

“If women are given equal space in society, educated and empowered, their chances of acquiring HIV automatically reduce because they will be able to protect themselves against infection. Government has put in place various programmes to protect women’s rights which include their reproductive health,” says Gender Minister Victoria Kalima.

And Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said Government was aware of the inadequate sexual reproductive health care services in Zambia.

In his recent ministerial statement to Parliament on HIV/AIDS, Dr Chilufya said Government had partnered with other stakeholders in ensuring women’s access to SRH and treatment services.

The response to reducing HIV infections among young women is all-embracing and non-governmental organisations have not been left out.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), Coalition of Zambian Women Living with HIV/AIDS (COZWHA) and Network of the Zambian People living with HIV/AIDS (NZP+) have also teamed up to strengthen HIV health services delivery, education and awareness programmes for women and girls.

AHF national medical director Brigadier General Lawson Simapuka feared that without early interventions to address the challenge of high infection rate among young women, a new window for another HIV epidemic might open.

Brig. Gen Simapuka said his organisation together with the other two organisations were offering financial and other forms of support for various progressive interventions such as information dissemination, HIV testing, sensitization, condom distribution and drama, among others.

“We are targeting to reach adolescent girls aged between 10 and 19, young women between 19 and 24 and other women that are both living with HIV and those that test negative by sensitizing them on HIV testing, treatment and prevention,” he said.

Even though such efforts are being made, HIV unfortunately still remains an epidemic of women and more need to be done to address the situation.