𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬

Why Women Contract HIV More Than Men Finally Explained

wanisheik

Aug 27, 2021

Over the years, females all over the world have contracted HIV more than their male counterparts. But that wasn' t what we were made to believe in the past. There used to be a perception that men were at a higher risk of contracting the virus than women.

As of mid- 1996, the Joint UN Program on AIDS evaluated that out of the twenty- five million adults infected with HIV, over ten million are women. The percentage of women who test positive for HIV has been on the rise, with nearly half of the 7500 new cases recorded daily found among them. Also, most cases of the virus detected in women are in developing countries.

The Ghana Aids Commission states that of the 342, 307 people living with HIV in Ghana, 122, 231 are males whereas 219, 986 are females. This means that the number of women living with the virus in Ghana is almost twice that of the number of men living with it.

A study conducted by Pubmed in Kisumu, Kenya, and Ndola, Zambia suggests that, across the board, 26% and 28% of people in Kisumu and Ndola respectively tested positive for HIV. In both sites, HIV prevalence in women was six times that in men between the ages of 15- 19, three times that among men between the ages of 20- 24, and at par with men between 25- 49.

What Are The Factors That Influence This Phenomenon?

In 2005, experts told the 14th International Conference on HIV/AIDS and S€xually Transmitted Infections in Africa in Abuja, Nigeria that " Nearly 60 percent of infections at the moment are in women, most of them in younger women.

The physiological data seem to indicate it' s something like twice as easy for women to become infected as for men. " - Said Helen Jackson, UN Population Fund' s HIV/AIDS advisor for Southern Africa.

She added that women in southern Africa between the ages of 15- 24 are at least three times more liable to get an HIV infection than men within the same age bracket.

Miss Helen attributed the factors leading to these figures to physiological and socio- cultural reasons. In so doing, she said that: " Infection often occurs between older men and young women. There is a greater chance of the women' s partners being HIV- positive, " than if they had s£x with same- age peers, " and the immature vaginal tract is more easily infected, "

Other factors leading to the rise in HIV infections in women may include the following:

1. Biological Factors

Biologically, women have a higher risk than men contracting the disease as a result of the greater mucus region exposed to HIV during penile penetration. Women who fall below age 17 years are placed at a bigger risk because they possess an underdeveloped cervix and low vaginal mucus production.

2. Poverty

Poverty is an important factor that heightens the chance of HIV infections in women. The impoverished women may be left with little to no choices but to conform to certain lifestyles that expose their risk of infection, together with prostitution, early marriage, and affairs that subject them to violence and abuse. Women in such conditions tend to have little knowledge about risks and are therefore unable to protect themselves against the virus.

3. Sugar daddy culture/Transactional S£x

The culture of younger women sleeping with older men for money, favors, or both are common in many parts of the world, with incredibly high levels in both east and southern Africa and west and central Africa regions. In many cases, such affairs involve a transaction of some sort, with some women exchanging their bodies for material support or other benefits.

This hypothesis originates from the stereotypical expectations of romantic relationships which normally suggest that men are required to provide material resources and women are to reciprocate that with their bodies and domestic chores.

4. Child marriages

According to Unicef, child marriage is defined as " a formal marriage or informal union of children before under the age of 18" . They also stipulate that it is an infringement on the human rights of these girls. Again, it is a harmful traditional practice that affects more girls than boys, resulting in several adverse health and developmental effects.

Research shows that around 12 million girls are married before the age of 18 making the situation quite worrisome. In Ghana, one in five females between the ages of 20- 24 enter into marriages before the age of 18.

Girls who marry as children are more likely to be exposed to domestic violence by their husbands than girls who marry later. They are also more likely to be forced during the consummation of their marriage. At such tender age, it' s highly unlikely for these girls to defend their wishes and might be less equipped with the arsenals to protect themselves from HIV and other STIs. All of these factors increase HIV risk.

How to prevent HIV in Women.

Although there has been improvement in the treatment of HIV, the rate of new infections is still on the rise with the majority of the infected people still being women.

Therefore, a combination of the following preventive methods can help reduce the prevalence of the virus in women:

1. Use condoms

Although there are female condoms for women, male latex condoms are proven to be the most effective way to prevent HIV and other STI' s.

2. Get tested- Be sure you and your partner are tested for HIV and other STI' s.

3. Be monogamous

Girls should limit the number of people they sleep with to reduce their risk. This may include ending the habit of sleeping with men especially the older ones for favors or material things.

5. Poverty alleviation

Providing equal opportunities for both men and women can help reduce impoverishment among women. Accordingly, practices such as prostitution and early marriages will reduce, hence causing the risk in women to decrease as well.

7. Do not abuse alcohol or drugs

Too much alcohol or drugs can hamper your ability to make better judgments and informed decisions such as engaging in coitus without the use of condoms thereby increasing your risk.

8. Stop Child marriages

The government must prioritize the fight against child marriages by enacting laws that will deal with the men who indulge in the practice.

All of these measures if followed carefully can help reduce or eradicate the prevalence of HIV among women.