|
Cultural practices that affect the spread of hiv/aids
among women in Sub-Saharan Africa - Case study: Women in Kayole,
Kenya
Crown
Abiola
Nairobi
Evangelical Graduate School of Theology
Despite international, national and local efforts the HIV/AIDS pandemic
continues largely unabated more so in Africa. The proportion is highest
in sub—Africa which has three quarters of all women infected with HIV in
the world. 57% of adults with HIV in this region are women. Among people
aged between 15 and 24 years in this region, there are on average, 36 HIV
positive women for every 10 affected men.
One of the reasons why past and present strategies for prevention and
care of HIV/AIDS in sub-Sahara Africa have met with little success seem to
lie in the fact that the design of most projects for the prevention of
HIV/AIDS so far has not paid due regard to the cultural characteristics of
the targeted population especially the family realities, the indigenous
knowledge and skills, and the traditional survival mechanisms of the
communities in Africa.
In most African traditional societies, clans or kinships transcend an
individual person. The philosophical awareness of the existence of an
individual is perceived in the existence of the kinship. The kinship
system is like an insurance blanket, and the thicker it is the better
during rainy days.
Therefore, this paper will address the socio-cultural factors that
enhance the spread of HIV/AIDS among women in Sub-Saharan Africa with
women in Kenya as a case study.
It reveals that cultural practices such as violence against women, a
widow being asked to remarry a junior brother of her deceased husband [who
might have died of AIDS], using the same sharp implements [which may be
infected] for circumcision, body scarification, tattooing, and hair
scrapping, and rape as strong factors.
Certain recommendations are also made. |
