KENYA METHODIST UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND MEDICAL EDUCATION

COURSE: BSC. HEALTH SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
UNIT: HCSI 225-HIV/AIDS

* Cultural, social and economic factors that increase women’s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.
Introduction
Women, especially in sub-Saharan Africa not only have the highest HIV-prevalence rates, compared to men, but also are greatly affected by the social and economic constraints that prevent them from evading high risk situations. Context-specific factors associated with women’s vulnerability to HIV infection include:
Cultural Norms
Cultural norms often place a high value on motherhood; attach a negative stigma to HIV-infected women, and view women and girls as primary caregivers. This places a significant burden on them. Other cultural practices such as widow inheritance and female genital mutilation (FGM) also increase women’s risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. Polygamy and early marriages are also very prevalent cultural practices in some societies in the world and most especially in Africa. These setups in most cases disadvantage the women and put them at greater risk of contracting the virus and disease.
Poverty
Poverty sometimes prompts women to engage in risky behavior, such as exchanging sex for gifts, money or food. As a result, women are more vulnerable to contracting the virus because they are unable to negotiate safe sex. This behavior is commonly seen among transport routes as well as refugee camps, where women and children exchange sex for money or gifts with high risk men.
Economic Dependency
Women's economic dependency on men increases their vulnerability to HIV infection. Dependent women are hesitant to leave risky relationships as they fear terrible economic consequences. Lacking access to land property and income, women are more likely to sell or exchange sex in unsafe ways for money,