Invitation for HIV-testing at Kalomo hospital, Zambia
The social barriers to test for HIV/Aids are still considerably high. A new study by Swiss TPH’s society, gender and health unit shows that the tolerance of violence within families in Zambia crucially contributes to this denial.
HIV/Aids is still a taboo in Africa. In Zambia, Southern Africa, only about 20% of the population is willing to test for the disease. Societal factors account for this fact. The fear to lose one’s friends, being rejected by the community or lose one’s sexual attraction prevents many people from undergoing testing.
A new study by Swiss TPH shows that domestic violence hampers the fight against HIV/Aids. The more women tolerate violence as a normal mean to solve conflicts within families or between couples, the less is their willingness to check for the disease in a test. Thus, it is the social relations and the fear of abuses that mainly determine decisions about HIV testing.
Progress in HIV/Aids control in Zambia
Recently, Zambia had successfully overcome many obstacles to get rid of the scourge. For instance, antiretroviral therapy is now offered free of charge to all who suffer from the disease. However, the new study shifts the focus to societal factors and the issue of gender inequalities. These insights suggest new approaches to contain the HIV/Aids-epidemic.
The authors underscore that improvements in HIV-prevention requires changes of norms and values within Zambian society. For this, a sound dialogue with the population is needed. Women should have the possibility to articulate their needs in group-discussion and couples counseling. However, “future interventions should mainly address men. They should question their own gender-roles,” says Gari. The authors also insist that domestic violence becomes a key topic in health policy making. Only then, the spread of HIV/Aids can successfully be stopped.
Publication:
Sara Gari, Jacob R. S. Malungo, Adriane Martin-Hilber, Maurice Musheke, Christian Schindler, Sonja Merten, „HIV Testing and Tolerance to Gender Based Violence: A Cross-Sectional Study in Zambia, in: PLOS ONE, Vol. 8, Issue 8, e71922.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0071922