What social factors have driven the spread of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a disease of the immune system caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). HIV is transmitted via unprotected sexual intercourse, contaminated blood transfusion, contaminated hypodermic needles, and from an infected mother to child during pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding. There is currently no cure for HIV/AIDS. AIDS is a debilitating condition that has great social, psychological and economic impact on both the individual and the wider community. Besides causing physical deterioration of the individual, AIDS can lead to stigmatization and economic hardship. The cost of AIDS to Sub-Saharan Africa is
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In Southern Africa, women within the age range of 15 to 24 are eight times more likely to be infected than their male counterparts (UNAIDS, 2010). The role that gender inequality plays in the spread of HIV/AIDS is manifested in several ways: social and culture norms, violence against women, and gender-associated stigmatization.
In many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, there are long-existing social and culture norms that have, to some extent, shaped male-female relations and individual social and sexual behaviours. In many areas, there are double standards for pre-marital sexual behaviours and marriage for males and females: there is widespread social acceptance of men having sexual "experimentation" before marriage while this is not encouraged in females, increasing the probability of men being infected before getting married and putting their spouses-to-be at risk. In Zambia, it is an accepted belief that men should have exclusive ownership of their wives, but this is not reciprocal. Adultery committed by men is considered part and parcel of married life, but adultery committed by women is frowned upon. Together with the culture of polygyny, extramarital affairs often put women at risk of HIV transmission. In the past, polygyny was common in Zambia, and though the practice is less widespread
In South Africa, AIDS is one of the top causes of death. South Africa has the biggest AIDS/HIV epidemic in the world because of violence against women, poverty, and lack of education. Given this, “Africans account for nearly 70% of those who live with HIV and are dying of AIDS” (Morgenstern, Dr. Michael).
Nearly three decades ago, there was an increase in deaths of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Developing countries have experienced the greatest HIV/AIDS morbidity and mortality, with the highest prevalence rates recorded in young adults in sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa over three million people are killed by this disease (Macfarlene3). After this epidemic spreaded in Africa and killed people it branched out to other countries in the world.
The research has been conducted in South Africa among women in antenatal care having HIV testing as part of treatment for prevention of mother to child trans mission, this has shown that those experiencing the greatest gender power inequality in relationships as well as those experiencing physical and sexual violence are more likely to be HIV positive. This start with the behaviour that are superior than females and females should not argue with males they should do as they are told.
Of the 35 million people living with HIV in the world, 19 million do not know their HIV-positive status. Adolescent girls and young women account for one in four new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa. Women are much more vulnerable to HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis B and C than the general public. Which is supported by this excerpt from a recent AIDSTAR-One regional report “Women and girls often face discrimination in terms of access to education, employment and healthcare. In this region, men often dominate sexual relationships. As a result, women cannot always practice safer sex even when they know the risks involved. Gender-based violence has been identified as a key driver of HIV transmission in the region.” (Ellsberg, Betron 2010) Many children are affected by the disease in a number of ways: they live with sick parents and relatives in households drained of resources due to the epidemic, and those who have lost parents are less likely to go to school or continue their education. Studies in the regions of Southern Africa and South-East Asia have found HIV/AIDS to negatively impact both the demand for and supply of education. Orphaned children are either pulled out of school or not enrolled at all due to the financial constraints of
AIDS or acquired immune deficiency syndrome is a disease where a person regardless of race or gender can get infected and have no chance of survival. AIDS started in the 1980’s to move from human to human. In a event were sex kills this is the one. In 1995, AIDS was the leading cause of death for adults 25 to 44 years old. But in recent years treatments help the survival and prolonged life of many with AIDS yet the disease still resides within them and they are dangerous to the well being of
The infection rates of HIV in women ages 15-24 is approximately twice as high as men in the same age group. Access to sexual and reproductive health services in Africa is restricted by the gender inequality, stigma and discrimination in the face of high HIV/AIDS prevalence. The study is limited to 2 cities, Uyo and Calabar; major centers of HIV/AIDS response. Interviews reveal that large numbers of people, especially from rural regions, are improperly informed and unaware of the nature of HIV/AIDS. An outreach program displayed HIV prevention messages, but the signs were in English. Access to ART can be difficult. Poorer women cannot afford repeat visits to clinics. Societal issues are present; HIV/AIDS stigma is widespread and families will outcast individuals, denying them of any support. The study also showed a declining confidence in ART as a form of treatment. Respondents reported cases of those on HIV/AIDS treatment who developed further infections. The article displays the need for better education and programs to help people access treatment for
The relationship between Aids and African culture can be seen in various ways, values in African culture on marriage, fertility are often seen, however, more recently education and social structure have also played a role culture.
An upsetting pattern has risen inside of the previous couple of years, demonstrating a relentless increment of ladies being contaminated with HIV/AIDS every year. This pattern is particularly conspicuous in sub-Saharan Africa. While the illness is contaminating more ladies than any other time in recent memory and now represents about portion of those living with HIV around
In the sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of the population suffers from HIV leading to AIDS. The culprits responsible for this epidemic include the lack of knowledge about the disease, disuse of condoms due to religious practices and the overall poor hygiene. If left untreated, the rampant surge of AIDS can terrribly impact the cost of their healthcare, the African economy and the welfare of the people. This implications justify immediately finding remedies to what ails the sub-Saharan population.
The disease AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. The epidemic disease AIDS affected the US in 1981. The disease AIDS is defined according the world health Organization (WHO) ‘’ Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a term which applies to the most advanced stages of HIV infection”. An outbreak virus that struck women, men, and children from every single part of world. A known disease of gay men that caused fears and folk tale and deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates 34.3 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 1999 and an estimated 15,000 people
(B1)South Africa has not escaped the rising prevalence and severe impact of HIV/AIDS in relation to women. From an economic and social vantage point, the HIV/AIDS epidemic effects women the hardest, with underprivileged black women the most susceptible to the virus. The theoretical framework of this paper focuses on the intersection between HIV/AIDS, gender inequality and gender violence, and more specifically on certain cultural practices and customs that contribute towards and exacerbate women's subordination and inequality, which in turn increase women's exposure to HIV infection.
The third cause of the spread of AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa are the religious factors of the region, which play a key role in the spread of the disease. In 2009, Pope Benedict, during his trip in Africa banned the use of condoms (medwiser, 2017). This directly helped to increase the spread of AIDS, as the Catholics in the region had more of an incentive to have unprotected sex. In 2008, Muslim leaders had shared a similar view with the Pope (medwiser, 2017). The umbrella Somali Ulema Council said it would use Sharia (Islamic) Law, including flogging, to punish those selling or using condoms. According to Sheikh Nur Barud, who is the chairman of the Somali Ulema Council, “ the use of condoms will increase adultery
Sub-Saharan Africa is the region of the world that is most affected by HIV/AIDS. The United Nations reports that an estimated 25.4 million people are living with HIV and that approximately 3.1 million new infections occurred in 2004. To put these figures in context, more than 60 percent of the people living with the infection reside in Africa. Even these staggering figures do not quite capture the true extent and impact that this disease causes on the continent. In 1998, about 200,000 Africans died as a result of various wars taking place on the continent. In that same year, more than 2 million succumbed to HIV/AIDS (Botchwey, 2000).
The HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa has been largely driven by the distinctive interaction of sex, gender, and power relations. Cultural norms regarding gender dynamics are a critical area of inquiry when it comes to understanding the course of HIV/AIDS in rural South Africa. Many of the key questions on the intersection of biological and cultural factors in the transmissibility of HIV can only be answered through anthropological knowledge, insight, and research. The degree to which the epidemic in South Africa is spread through customs and practices are critical concerns for the health sector, which a biocultural anthropological perspective is uniquely
Many may relate sexual diseases to lack of education but it's very difficult to keep separated these two subjects. According to Reports, 10% of sub Saharan Africans are infected by HIV. Why Africa is called at home of HIV because of lack of economic disparity, social stability, gender equality, sexual violence, poverty, other sexual transmitted infections, lack of male circumcision, rapid urbanization, ineffective government leadership during the crucial periods of outbreak.