AEGiS-11IAC: Gender related factors that put women at risk of HIV infection in Uganda.

11th International AIDS Conference


Vancouver, British Columbia — July 7-12, 1996

Print this Article


Gender related factors that put women at risk of HIV infection in Uganda.

Int Conf AIDS 1996 Jul 7-12; 11:458 (abstract no. Pub.C.1128)
Kavuma L; Universities Talk AIDS Project, TOC, Institute For Devt. and Communication, Cchandigarh, India. Fax: 0091-172-547727.

ISSUE: Gender roles and relations in the Ugandan society have made women, especially between the age group of 15 and 30 years, more susceptible to HIV infection, as compared to their male counterparts in the same age group.

PROJECT: Through counselling of young women in hospital outpatient clinics, hospital wards, prisons, teenager centres and also training of different women leaders in different communities in Uganda, it was observed that the socialization process and stereotyping of roles of both men and women right from childhood, exposes the women more to HIV infection as compared to their male counterparts.

RESULTS: The following gender related factors that put women at risk of HIV infection were highlighted: 1. Decision making power 2. Reproductive role 3. Biological susceptibility 4. Choice of contraception 5. Accessibility to appropriate health services 6. Age 7. Accessibility to information 8. Literacy levels 9. Economic alternatives 10. Mobility patterns 11. Cultural factors 12. Attitudes towards relationships.

LESSONS LEARNED: The socialization process of both men and women, right from child-hood, as well as the stereotyping of their roles in society, has exposed young women more to HIV infection as compared to their male counterparts. Intervention measures to facilitate HIV prevention should therefore be gender sensitive and community based in their approach considering different population groups in their specificity, within their social and cultural framework.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Infections, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Risk, Sex Behavior, Sex, Risk Factors, Risk-Taking, Sex Education, Gender Identity, Power (Psychology), Sex Factors, Uganda, Human, Female, Male, Child, Adolescence, ICA11KWDaegis,hivinfections,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,risk,sexbehavior,sex,riskfactors,risk-taking,sexeducation,genderidentity,power(psychology),sexfactors,uganda,human,female,male,child,adolescence,ica11

960707
PubC1128

Copyright © 1996 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.