Health Inequity among the Poor; How Poverty and Gender Norms Influence HIV Prevalence in Botswana (Essay Sample)

Health Inequity among the Poor; How Poverty and Gender Norms Influence HIV Prevalence in Botswana
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Health Inequity among the Poor; How Poverty and Gender Norms Influence HIV Prevalence in Botswana
1 Introduction
The study will focus on the prevalence of HIV in Botswana. It will in particular look into how low education levels and social economic status render women more vulnerable to the virus. The country has certain cultural norms that have ever been instigating the degradation of women putting them at a disadvantage. In the end this paper will come up with a concise strategy that will address the plight of the women in regards to HIV prevalence in Botswana.
2 Development and Elaboration of ideas
It is evident that women are affected disproportionately by the prevalence of the HIV epidemic. A study conducted by the United Nation in 2016 shows that around 27% of women aged between 15 and 49 years are living with the virus yet only 18% of men aged between 15 and 49 live with the virus (UNAIDS, 2016).
In another study conducted by the UN in 2017 shows that the number of women with HIV has grown from 150,000 back in 2005 to a recent 200,000. This shows that within a span of 11 years the number has grown by a quarter. It further shows that women make up more that 56% of the total number of people living with the virus in Botswana (Pruss-Ustun A. et al. 2013). The study goes on to show that gender inequality has fueled the prevalence of the virus amongst women. Variables such as forced marriage, gender-based violence, and early sexual debut render the women more susceptible to the virus.
As per a national study conducted by the National AIDS Coordinating Agency back in 2012 suggests that around 30% of the women interview had experienced some form of intimate partner violence within a span of the past 12 months. Another 68% of the women reported to have experienced some sort of intimate partner violence within their lifetime (WHO, 2017).
The relevant bodies in charge of protecting and safeguarding the rights of women such as the national strategic HIV response are putting measures in place that will help reduce the inequalities faced by women and focus on the provision of psychosocial support and economic empowerment. However, there is still much that needs to be done. This study will look into the gap left by the relevant bodies and in the end come up with a strategy that may help get rid of this menace.
3 Discussion of Data and Methods
For the study to be a success and be able to fill in the gaps left out by previous researchers it will deploy the use of existing data and literature conducted on the topic so as to be able to gather the necessary information. It will therefore be a qualitative study. Only credible sources will be used such as reports from the World Health Organization and the United Nations.
4 Findings and Conclusions
As mentioned before, the low socioeconomic status of women in Botswana puts them at a greater risk of getting infected by the virus. Women are more likely to be unemployed, impoverished, and uneducated compared to men and this may force them to indulge in sexual exchanges for transactional purposes (Adetunji, 2016). These kind of sexual exchanges are usually made with their casual sex partners and rarely without protection. Therefore, due to economic inequality, women are predisposed to seeking sexual favors that puts them at a risky position.
Apart from economic differences, women are also faced with unequal power in relationships and are paced at a subordinate position by the men. This makes it difficult for them to negotiate the use of protection during sexual exchanges and therefore puts them at a vulnerable position. Also, some cultural norms such as the act of older men getting younger women as sexual partners makes it exceptionally hard for the females to negotiate for safe sex (Ambasa-Shisanya, 2009). Moreover, there are some social norms that encourage violence against women, like spousal abuse, domestic violence, and rape. This also increases the probability of women being infected by the virus since the violence is associated with lack of condom use and traumatic injury.
Finally, there are some interventions that the government and other relevant organizations have enacted to help reduce the epidemic. These interventions can be divided into three categories, behavioral, structural, and biomedical interventions. Behavioral interventions involve the counseling and testing of those with HIV. This is a critical intervention as it enables both the patient and the government to know their status and hence enables easier management of the virus. Structural intervention on the other hand involves the attempts to try and reform the social norms that put women in danger (Schwandt M. et al. 2016). It involves educating the public on the consequences of norms such as sexual violence and intergenerational sex. As for biomedical interventions, it involves the use contraceptives, here the case being condoms.
References
Adetunji J (2016). Rising popularity of injectable contraceptives in sub-Saharan Africa. African Popul Stud.2011;25(2):587–604.
Ambasa-Shisanya, C. R. (2009). Cultural determinants of adoption of HIV/AIDS prevention measures, and strategies among girls, and women in western Kenya. Addis Ababa: Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa.
Ambasa-Shisanya, C. R. (2009). Cultural determinants of adoption of HIV/AIDS prevention measures, and strategies among girls, and women...