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Thior I, Rowley E, Mavhu W, Kruse-Levy N, Messner L, Falconer-Stout ZJ, Mugurungi O, Ncube G, Leclerc-Madlala S. Urban-rural disparity in sociodemographic characteristics and sexual behaviors of HIV-positive adolescent girls and young women and their perspectives on their male sexual partners: A cross-sectional study in Zimbabwe. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230823. [PMID: 32324764 PMCID: PMC7179911 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We conducted a cross sectional survey in Zimbabwe to describe urban-rural disparity in socio-demographic characteristics and sexual behaviors of HIV-positive adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and their male sexual partners. Between September and November 2016, we interviewed 360 sexually active HIV positive AGYW, aged 15––24 years attending ART and PMTCT clinics in urban and rural health facilities in Harare and Mazowe district respectively. HIV positive AGYW in rural areas as compared to those in urban areas were older, less educated, more frequently married or cohabiting, had lower number of male sexual partners in their lifetime and in the last 12 months preceding the survey. They were mostly heterosexually infected, more likely to disclose their status to a family member and to be more adherent to ART (OR = 2.5–95% CI = 1.1–5.5). Most recent male sexual partners of HIV positive AGYW in urban areas as compared to those from rural areas were mainly current or former boyfriends, single, more educated, less likely to have a child with them and to engage in couple voluntary counseling and testing (CVCT). They were more likely to patronize dancing and drinking venues and involved in transactional sex (OR = 2.2–95% CI: 1.2–4). They were also more likely to be circumcised (OR = 2.3–95% CI: 1.3–4.1) and to use condom more consistently in the last 12 months preceding the survey. Our study findings called for the strengthening of HIV prevention interventions in urban areas among HIV positive AGYW who had more than one partner in their lifetime or are patronizing dancing and drinking venues. In Zimbabwe, promotion of CVCT, index testing, male circumcision and condom use should be sustained to engage male sexual partners of both urban and rural HIV positive AGYW in HIV prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibou Thior
- PATH, Washington, D.C, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Webster Mavhu
- Centre for Sexual Health & HIV/AIDS Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | | | - Lyn Messner
- EnCompass LLC, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | - Owen Mugurungi
- AIDS and TB, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Getrude Ncube
- AIDS and TB, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe
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Schenk KD, Tun W, Sheehy M, Okal J, Kuffour E, Moono G, Mutale F, Kyeremaa R, Ngirabakunzi E, Amanyeiwe U, Leclerc-Madlala S. " Even the fowl has feelings": access to HIV information and services among persons with disabilities in Ghana, Uganda, and Zambia. Disabil Rehabil 2018; 42:335-348. [PMID: 30282493 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2018.1498138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Background: Persons with disabilities have often been overlooked in the context of HIV and AIDS risk prevention and service provision. This paper explores access to and use of HIV information and services among persons with disabilities.Methods: We conducted a multi-country qualitative research study at urban and rural sites in Uganda, Zambia, and Ghana: three countries selected to exemplify different stages of the HIV response to persons with disabilities. We conducted key informant interviews with government officials and service providers, and focus group discussions with persons with disabilities and caregivers. Research methods were designed to promote active, meaningful participation from persons with disabilities, under the guidance of local stakeholder advisors.Results: Persons with disabilities emphatically challenged the common assumption that persons with disabilities are not sexually active, pointing out that this assumption denies their rights and - by denying their circumstances - leaves them vulnerable to abuse. Among persons with disabilities, knowledge about HIV was limited and attitudes towards HIV services were frequently based upon misinformation and stigmatising cultural beliefs; associated with illiteracy especially in rural areas, and rendering people with intellectual and developmental disability especially vulnerable. Multiple overlapping layers of stigma towards persons with disabilities (including internalised self-stigma and stigma associated with gender and abuse) have compounded each other to contribute to social isolation and impediments to accessing HIV information and services. Participants suggested approaches to HIV education outreach that emphasise the importance of sharing responsibility, promoting peer leadership, and increasing the active, visible participation of persons with disabilities in intervention activities, in order to make sure that accurate information reflecting the vulnerabilities of persons with disabilities is accessible to people of all levels of education. Fundamental change to improve the skills and attitudes of healthcare providers and raise their sensitivity towards persons with disabilities (including recognising multiple layers of stigma) will be critical to the ability of HIV service organisations to implement programs that are accessible to and inclusive of persons with disabilities.Discussion: We suggest practical steps towards improving HIV service accessibility and utilisation for persons with disabilities, particularly emphasising the power of community responsibility and support; including acknowledging compounded stigma, addressing attitudinal barriers, promoting participatory responses, building political will and generating high-quality evidence to drive the continuing response.Conclusions: HIV service providers and rehabilitation professionals alike must recognise the two-way relationship between HIV and disability, and their multiple overlapping vulnerabilities and stigmas. Persons with disabilities demand recognition through practical steps to improve HIV service accessibility and utilisation in a manner that recognises their vulnerability and facilitates retention in care and adherence to treatment. In order to promote lasting change, interventions must look beyond the service delivery context and take into account the living circumstances of individuals and communities affected by HIV and disability. Implications for RehabilitationPersons with disabilities are vulnerable to HIV infection but have historically been excluded from HIV and AIDS services, including prevention education, testing, treatment, care and support. Fundamental change is needed to address practical and attitudinal barriers to access, including provider training.Rehabilitation professionals and HIV service providers alike must acknowledge the two-way relationship between HIV and disability: people with disability are vulnerable to HIV infection; people with HIV are increasingly becoming disabled.Peer participation by persons with disabilities in the design and implementation of HIV services is crucial to increasing accessibility.Addressing political will (through the National Strategic Plan for HIV) is crucial to ensuring long-term sustainable change in recognizing and responding to the heightened vulnerability of people with disability to HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie D Schenk
- Department of Global and Community Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
| | - Waimar Tun
- Department of Global and Community Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
| | | | - Jerry Okal
- HIVCore/Population Council, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | | | - Felix Mutale
- Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Rita Kyeremaa
- Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, Accra, Ghana
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Mavhu W, Rowley E, Thior I, Kruse-Levy N, Mugurungi O, Ncube G, Leclerc-Madlala S. Sexual behavior experiences and characteristics of male-female partnerships among HIV positive adolescent girls and young women: Qualitative findings from Zimbabwe. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0194732. [PMID: 29566062 PMCID: PMC5864257 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background New HIV infections among sub-Saharan Africa's adolescent girls and young women (AGYW, ages 15–24) greatly exceed those of their male peers. In addition, AGYW tend to acquire HIV at a much earlier age. Understanding the factors associated with HIV infection in AGYW could inform effective prevention and treatment interventions for these populations and their male sexual partners. Methods This qualitative study, conducted October-November 2016, was a follow on to a quantitative survey that sought to characterize male sexual partners and sexual behaviors of sexually active HIV positive AGYW in Zimbabwe. The qualitative study explored sexual behavior experiences and characteristics of male-female partnerships among the same participants. We conducted in-depth interviews with purposively sampled AGYW (16–24 years). Audio recorded qualitative data were transcribed, translated into English, and thematically coded using NVivo. Results 28 AGYW (n = 14 urban, n = 14 rural) took part in the in-depth interviews. 50% were 16–19 years old. Discussions with 10/11 (91%) AGYW who were reportedly infected through sex suggested that they had acquired HIV from their husbands or romantic partners. Accounts also suggested that the age difference between respondents and their male sexual partners was ≥5 years. Overall, respondents described two types of male partners: those older (''sugar daddies'', men ≥35 years old) and younger (<35 years). Respondents felt unable to suggest condom use to both older and younger partners. Evident in respondents' accounts was a general low HIV risk perception, particularly with younger men, which was largely due to poor HIV knowledge. Discussions suggested that an AGYW's relationship with either male partner was characterized by some form of violence. Conclusions Discussions highlighted the nature and characteristics of relationships between AGYW and their male sexual partners. Findings could inform interventions to engender risk perception among AGYW, promote female-controlled HIV prevention efforts and, foster risk-reduction among men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Webster Mavhu
- Centre for Sexual Health & HIV/AIDS Research (CeSHHAR), Harare, Zimbabwe
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Elizabeth Rowley
- PATH, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Ibou Thior
- PATH, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc., Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Natalie Kruse-Levy
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Owen Mugurungi
- AIDS & TB Unit, Ministry of Health & Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Getrude Ncube
- AIDS & TB Unit, Ministry of Health & Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Suzanne Leclerc-Madlala
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
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Leclerc-Madlala S, Broomhall L, Fieno J. The 'end of AIDS' project: Mobilising evidence, bureaucracy, and big data for a final biomedical triumph over AIDS. Glob Public Health 2017; 13:972-981. [PMID: 29202649 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2017.1409246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Efforts are currently underway by major orchestrators and funders of the global AIDS response to realise the vision of achieving an end to AIDS by 2030. Unlike previous efforts to provide policy guidance or to encourage 'best practice' approaches for combatting AIDS, the end of AIDS project involves the promotion of a clear set of targets, tools, and interventions for a final biomedical solution to the epidemic. In this paper, we examine the bureaucratic procedures of one major AIDS funder that helped to foster a common vision and mission amongst a global AIDS community with widely divergent views on how best to address the epidemic. We focus on the methods, movements, and materials that are central to the project of ending AIDS, including those related to biomedical forms of evidence and big data science. We argue that these approaches have limitations and social scientists need to pay close attention to the end of AIDS project, particularly in contexts where clinical interventions might transform clinical outcomes, but where the social, economic, and cultural determinants of HIV and AIDS remain largely intact and increasingly obscured.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lorie Broomhall
- b Office of Field Support , PLAN International , Washington , DC , USA
| | - John Fieno
- c Independent Consultant , Cincinnati , OH , USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Waimar Tun
- Population Council, Washington, DC, USA.
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Abstract
The rapid scale-up of effective HIV prevention strategies is a central theme of the post-2015 health and development agenda. All major global HIV and AIDS funders have aligned their policies and plans to achieve sharp reductions in new HIV infections and reach epidemic control by 2030. In these "fast-track" plans, increased antiretroviral treatment coverage and the attainment of viral suppression are pivotal, and there is firm recognition of the need for countries to mobilise more domestic resources and build stronger community clinic systems. There is little in these bold plans, however, to suggest that the now 30-year-old call by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other organisations to establish systematic collaborations with the traditional health sector will finally be heeded. In the context of sub-Saharan Africa's HIV epidemic, a significant body of literature demonstrates the critical role that traditional healers can play in improving the success of health programmes, including those for HIV prevention. This paper provides a brief history of collaboration with traditional healers for HIV followed by a description of several successful collaborations and discussion of key elements for success. We argue that the traditional health sector is a major resource that has yet to be sufficiently mobilised against HIV. As we shift from a short-term HIV response to a longer-term and more sustainable response, there is an urgent need to accelerate efforts to leverage and partner with the hundreds of thousands of traditional health practitioners who are already providing health services in communities. Failure to better attune our work to the medical pluralism of communities affected by HIV will continue to hinder HIV programming success and help assure that ambitious post-2015 HIV prevention and control goals are not realised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Leclerc-Madlala
- a Office of HIV and AIDS, Global Health Bureau , US Agency for International Development , Washington , DC , USA
| | - Edward Green
- b Department of Anthropology , The George Washington University , Washington , DC , USA
| | - Mary Hallin
- c College of Business Administration , University of Nebraska at Omaha , Omaha , Nebraska , USA
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Wright S, Amzel A, Ikoro N, Srivastava M, Leclerc-Madlala S, Bowsky S, Miller H, Phelps BR. Talking to children about their HIV status: a review of available resources, tools, and models for improving and promoting pediatric disclosure. AIDS Care 2017; 29:1019-1025. [PMID: 28081616 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2016.1273471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
As children living with HIV (CLHIV) grow into adolescence and adulthood, caregivers and healthcare providers are faced with the sensitive challenge of when to disclose to a CLHIV his or her HIV status. Despite WHO recommendations for CLHIV to know their status, in countries most affected by HIV, effective resources are often limited, and national guidance on disclosure is often lacking. To address the need for effective resources, gray and scientific literature was searched to identify existing tools and resources that can aid in the disclosure process. From peer-reviewed literature, seven disclosure models from six different countries were identified. From the gray literature, 23 resources were identified including children's books (15), job aides to assist healthcare providers (5), and videos (3). While these existing resources can be tailored to reflect local norms and used to aid in the disclosure process, careful consideration must be taken in order to avoid damaging disclosure practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Wright
- a U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of HIV/AIDS , Washington , DC , USA
| | - A Amzel
- a U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of HIV/AIDS , Washington , DC , USA
| | - N Ikoro
- a U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of HIV/AIDS , Washington , DC , USA
| | - M Srivastava
- a U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of HIV/AIDS , Washington , DC , USA
| | - S Leclerc-Madlala
- a U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of HIV/AIDS , Washington , DC , USA
| | - S Bowsky
- b Futures Group International , Washington , USA
| | - H Miller
- a U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of HIV/AIDS , Washington , DC , USA
| | - B R Phelps
- a U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of HIV/AIDS , Washington , DC , USA
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Leclerc-Madlala S. HIV Exceptionalism: Development through Disease in Sierra Leone by Adia Benton. Anthropological Quarterly 2016. [DOI: 10.1353/anq.2016.0039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Abstract
As the search for more effective HIV prevention strategies continues, increased attention is being paid to the potential role of cash transfers in prevention programming in sub-Saharan Africa. To date, studies testing the impact of both conditional and unconditional cash transfers on HIV-related behaviours and outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa have been relatively small-scale and their potential feasibility, costs and benefits at scale, among other things, remain largely unexplored. This article examines elements of a successful cash transfer program from Latin America and discusses challenges inherent in scaling-up such programs. The authors attempt a cost simulation of a cash transfer program for HIV prevention in South Africa comparing its cost and relative effectiveness--in number of HIV infections averted--against other prevention interventions. If a cash transfer program were to be taken to scale, the intervention would not have a substantial effect on decreasing the force of the epidemic in middle- and low-income countries. The integration of cash transfer programs into other sectors and linking them to a broader objective such as girls' educational attainment may be one way of addressing doubts raised by the authors regarding their value for HIV prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Fieno
- a Regional HIV/AIDS Program, US Agency for International Development , Pretoria , South Africa
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Leclerc-Madlala S. Cultural scripts for multiple and concurrent partnerships in southern Africa: why HIV prevention needs anthropology. Sex Health 2009; 6:103-10. [PMID: 19457288 DOI: 10.1071/sh08032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2008] [Accepted: 12/16/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple and concurrent sexual partnerships have been identified as southern Africa's key behavioural driver of HIV, resulting in calls to make partner reduction programming central to an intensified HIV prevention focus. Various efforts are currently being made in the region in response to this call. Such efforts will likely have as limited success as past prevention efforts if the cultural milieu in which sexual partnering practices are located and reproduced remains poorly understood, unaccounted for, and unaddressed in prevention programming. METHODS Focussed ethnographic discussions were held between October 2007 and November 2008 with 228 members of southern African non-government organisations representing seven countries. Discussions formed part of follow-up activities to a high level regional meeting and were aimed at exploring contextual factors in HIV transmission, most especially the role of culture in relation to multiple and concurrent partnerships. RESULTS Common patterns in cultural scripts for the performance of sexuality were discernable. Several predominant scripts that tend to affirm and lend cultural legitimacy to multiple and concurrent partnering were identified, discussed and analysed. CONCLUSION Effectuating change at the level of cultural scripting to discourage multiple and concurrent partnerships is required for sustainable long-term protection of people and communities against HIV. The success of partner reduction programs will be largely determined by the extent to which they are informed by anthropological knowledge and work with cultural logics to allow people to envision how they can transform obstacles into support for risk reduction.
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Abstract
This paper reviews the current state of knowledge on age-disparate sexual relationships in the context of the southern African HIV/AIDS hyperepidemic. Disproportionately high HIV infection rates among young women aged 15-24 years have been attributed to their greater involvement in relationships with older-aged partners. Whereas early studies emphasized economic concerns in the context of poverty as driving girls to accept or seek the attentions of older employed men, close-grained studies reveal a complex interplay of meanings and motives that prompt both men and women across socioeconomic strata to engage in intergenerational sex. Studies have revealed that age-disparate relationships are meaningful and perceived as beneficial at a number of levels, including social, physical, psychological, as well as economic and symbolic. In the context of growing economic inequalities and cultural expectations for men to give and women to receive a compensation for sex, relationships with older men are a common and readily available way through which young women gain materially, affirm self-worth, achieve social goals, increase longer-term life chances, or otherwise add value and enjoyment to life. Awareness of HIV risks in these relationships remains low. HIV prevention policies and programmes need to start from an understanding of how those engaged in risky behaviour perceive their sexual relationships and conceptualize the choices they make and the strategies they use. A more comprehensive policy on women and girls with better integration of communities in assessing and addressing issues, and an expansion of campaigns and programmes on the role of men as protectors and supporters of women are recommended.
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Halperin DT, Wamai RG, Weiss HA, Hankins C, Agot K, Karim QA, Shisana O, Bailey RC, Betukumesu B, Bongaarts J, Bowa K, Cash R, Cates W, Diallo MO, Dludlu S, Geffen N, Heywood M, Jackson H, Kayembe PK, Kapiga S, Kebaabetswe P, Kintaudi L, Klausner JD, Leclerc-Madlala S, Mabuza K, Makhubele MB, Micheni K, Morris BJ, de Moya A, Ncala J, Ntaganira I, Nyamucherera OF, Otolorin EO, Pape JW, Phiri M, Rees H, Ruiz M, Sanchez J, Sawires S, Seloilwe ES, Serwadda DM, Setswe G, Sewankambo N, Simelane D, Venter F, Wilson D, Woelk G, Zungu N. Male circumcision is an efficacious, lasting and cost-effective strategy for combating HIV in high-prevalence AIDS epidemics. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.2217/17469600.2.5.399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Helen A Weiss
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Kawango Agot
- Universities of Nairobi, Illinois & Manitoba (UNIM) Project, Lumumba Health Center, University of Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Saidi Kapiga
- Harvard School of Public Health, MA, USA and,University of Tanzania, Tanzania
| | | | | | | | | | - Khanya Mabuza
- National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS (NERCHA), Swaziland
| | | | | | | | - Antonio de Moya
- Consejo Presidencial Del Sida (COPRESIDA), Dominican Republic
| | | | | | | | | | - Jean William Pape
- Haitian Group for the Study of Kaposi’s Sarcoma & Opportunistic Infections (GHESKIO), Haiti
| | | | - Helen Rees
- Reproductive Health & Research Unit, Witwatersrand University, South Africa
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Dudu Simelane
- Family Life Association of Swaziland (FLAS), Swaziland
| | - François Venter
- Reproductive Health & Research Unit, Witwatersrand University, South Africa
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Leclerc-Madlala S. 'We will eat when I get the grant': negotiating AIDS, poverty and antiretroviral treatment in South Africa. African Journal of AIDS Research 2006; 5:249-56. [DOI: 10.2989/16085900609490386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Abstract
KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa is currently the site of the world's fastest growing HIV/AIDS epidemic, where it is estimated that between 30 and 40 percent of the adult population is seropositive for HIV. With support from local politicians and members of various government ministries, several self-styled guardians of tradition have emerged to form organizations that advocate and conduct regular virginity testing of girls. Reference to the current HIV/AIDS epidemic is central to calls for greater support of this practice. Drawing on original research among Zulu-speaking people in the periurban communities of Durban, this article examines the sociocultural construction of HIV/AIDS and locates the growing popularity of virginity testing within a gendered meaning-making process consistent with commonly held beliefs that the epidemic is the result of women being sexually "out of control." With the social impact of AIDS starting to take its toll in the forms of increasing AIDS-related deaths and a growing population of orphans, I argue that virginity testing is an attempt to manage the epidemic by exerting greater control over women and their sexuality. In addition, virginity testing of girls helps to draw attention away from the role of men in the maturing epidemic, consideration of which has been conspicuously absent in the popular discourse on AIDS at all levels of South African society.
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Abstract
The province of KwaZulu-Natal leads South Africa in HIV/AIDS infection, with over two-thirds of the currently estimated 1.8 million cases. Recent studies show that the spread of HIV is accelerating, especially among young people under the age of 25. For Zulu township youth, HIV infection has come to be accepted as a new and inevitable part of growing up. Ongoing political violence and high levels of crime characterize the townships, from which has emerged a youth culture where young people who suspect they may be infected with HIV will avoid a definite diagnosis while at the same time seek to spread the infection as widely as possible. This response to the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic is examined against the cultural ethos of ubuntu and the strategies once used by youth to forge solidarity in their struggle against the former white regime. The social impact of this response, which may include increasing rape incidence, is discussed.
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