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Jul 21st, 2005 - 15:28:37 |
EDITH
WOMEN AND HIV/ AIDS – (Cultural behaviour and the spread of HIV/AIDS)
A NEW RADIO FEATURE (Documentary) public health issues have been of growing concern globally. But in African countries some governments have shown little or no interest on these matter. Often, noise and funfair are made only during the commernorating days for certain public health concerns organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
However, there has been a recent increase in awareness on issued affecting public health. The devastating effect of HIV/AIDS pandemic in the Africa continent has made more and more governments to become increasingly concerned over the public health issued with the view of combating the problems. Other public health problems are also receiving attention. The menace of malaria in tropical African that causes the death of 3 million people annually is receiving a more serious attention. There have been programmes of immunization in various countries in sub-Saharan Africa aimed at eradicating polio totally in the region.
Some governments and non-governmental organisations have come out with programmes aimed at improving public health system. Yet a lot are still needed to be done.
The issues of HIV/AIDS pandemic are receiving more serious attention in most African countries. But the spread of this dreaded disease can be reduced with the change in some cultural behaviours.
Certain cultural factors and practices make the situation very dangerous and precarious especially for women. Women are subjected to traditional cultural norms and practices including female genital mutilation and stereotypes of inferiority. With this practices, some girls bleed to death, due to lack of sterilized tools used in incision or local circumcision, and improper care and attention.
Some traditional practices inflicted hardship and violence on children including most prominently the custom of “Vidomegan” whereby poor often rural, families placed a child primarily a daughter in the home of a more wealthy family to avoid the burden of bringing up the child. In some instances these children are sexually abused and often subjected to conditions that endanger their health.
Women are often ostracized abused and disregarded. Women in the contemporary African society are not given equal rights, opportunities and treatment as men often-societal restrictions and taboos are put in place to limit them. In some areas in Benin women are not allowed to discuss sexuality and they risk abuse if they refuse sex.
Men commonly have many sexual partners increasing the risk of HIV/AIDS infections. In a polygamous society like Benin men marry more than one wife putting women at a greater risk of infection. Some religion advocate polygamy whereby a man is entitled to marry many wives, his numerous concubines not inclusive in this case.
There is a common parlance here, deuxième bureau, which means second office literally means second home. In this case a man lives with his first wife and hires another house for his second, third wife or mistress as the case maybe. Often he goes there to visit or sleep with her. The woman may have other men lovers whom she dates in the absence of her main husband or lover. The situation increases the risk of HIV/AIDS infection.
Culturally, a woman may marry and live with her parents. She and her husband exchanges visits and the regularity of her visits to the husband is often dictated by him. This set up gives the man the opportunity of keeping other relationships which may equally be applicable to the woman. This increases the risk of HIV/AIDS infection.
Men normally have sexual relationship with young girls. Some of them like to have sex with young girls whom they feel are not yet spoilt. And they often entice them into sexual relationship with money or other materials gifts. Such relationships expose the girls to risk of HIV/AIDS infection.
Early marriages for girls and unfaithfulness or infidelity on the part of some husbands also contribute to high infection rate.
A high percentage of children of school age are forced into the streets to hawk goods for survival. Child prostitutes to provide income. The children are exposed to sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and are prone to contracting HIV/AIDS.
Legal reform to empower women economically and improve their rights, along with medical advances and social change, is needed as part of a comprehensive response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic
lt was a great programme in Benin.
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