Posts
Researcher Lucy Mkandawire-Valhmu
reports that cultural norms in the southeast African country of Malawi result
in increased HIV risk for married women. Approximately 12 percent of Malawi
adults are HIV-infected; women become infected at a younger age and more often
than men in Malawi. The average annual income in Malawi is $200, and women are
“substantially poorer” than men, according to Mkandawire-Valhmu.
The study author conducted 12 focus
groups comprised of 72 women, most of whom had been diagnosed with HIV during
the last two years. The average age of participants was 33. Most participants
had some primary education, but none were employed at the time of the focus
groups. Although half of the participants were married during the study, almost
all had been married—some two or three times. The women cited poverty and
companionship as reasons for marriage.
The focus group participants
reported several factors contributing to increased HIV risk for married women
in Malawi: Polygamy is legal in Malawi; husbands are unfaithful; Malawi
cultural norms dictate that couples abstain from sex for a year after
childbirth; Malawi men do not disclose their HIV status; and women are
vulnerable to "nkhaza" (domestic abuse and violence, frequently with
forced, unprotected sex).
Some study participants stated they
have chosen poverty over marriage. The focus group participants suggested
policy changes, including equal access to land and sustainable
income-generating activity, and microfinancing to alleviate poverty among
Malawi women.
The full report, “Marriage as a Risk
Factor for HIV: Learning from the Experiences of HIV-Infected Women in Malawi,”
was published online in the journal Global Public Health (2013;
doi:10.1080/17441692.2012.761261).
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
