The Sunday Mail
Shamiso Yikoniko
The odds are stacked against women in the fight against HIV, with social, cultural and economic factors conspiring to make women much more vulnerable to the virus than men.
This is a sentiment echoed in the recently concluded Zimbabwe Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (Zimphia) report by the Ministry of Health and Child Care and its partners.
Annual incidence of HIV among adults (15-64 years) is 0,45 percent; of which 0,59 percent was recorded among females and 0,31 percent among males.
HIV prevalence among adults (15-64 years) is 14,6 percent. Females again recorded a high percentage of 16,7 as compared to 12,4 percent among males.
However, the only positive indicator for women revealed by Zimphia is that prevalence of viral load suppression is higher in women with a 64,5 percent against 54 3 percent among males.
While men continue to account for new HIV infections in Zimbabwe each year, women cannot be forgotten when it comes to addressing the epidemic.
Given the often heterosexual dimension of the infection, the HIV/Aids epidemic is particularly affected by gender systems in sub-Saharan Africa that promote the spread of HIV through a variety of routes that include masculine identities that support dominance, sexual freedom and sexual satisfaction.
Physiologically, women are up to four times more vulnerable to HIV infection than men.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care’s director of Aids and TB unit, Dr Owen Mugurungi, said HIV still has a woman’s face and explains the several reasons why.
“Infected semen remains in the cervix for some time, there is a large surface area in the vagina and cervix exposed to the virus, and the vagina is more susceptible to small tears during sex,” he said.
“Young women’s cervixes are even more vulnerable, particularly when they first start having sex. But perhaps the most compelling risk factor is women’s lack of power to ensure they have safe sex.
“There is a large body of evidence pointing to the fact that many women are simply unable to abstain from sex, guarantee that their partners will be faithful or insist on the use of condoms.”
Worldwide, a quarter of all new HIV infections are of women aged between 15 and 24 and the sad part is the vast majority of these young women live in sub-Saharan Africa where six out of every 10 people living with HIV are women.
When it comes to options for HIV prevention, women, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, have for a long time been “denied” a level playing field due to lack of options to protect themselves.
Southern African HIV and Aids Information Dissemination Service (SAfAids) head of media, marketing and public relations, Mrs Tariro Makanga-Chikumbirike, said HIV still harbours a woman’s face.
“This has been the situation since HIV came. Unfortunately even now, HIV carries the woman’s face. The burden of HIV is also more on women, both on the number of women affected and the role that women play in dealing with HIV as caregivers,” she explained.
“Scientifically, our biological make-up makes women more prone to HIV infections. Other social factors like multiple concurrent partners and harmful cultural practices also make women prone to new HIV infections.”
Ms Tendayi Kateketa repeated the same sentiments.
“Economic factors top the list as the majority of women depend on men for various benefits for their survival and this makes them vulnerable as it weakens their position to safer sexual practices,” she said.
National Aids Council statistics state that women account for more than 60 percent of the 1,4 million people living with HIV/Aids in Zimbabwe.
According to national statistics in 2016, 110 million male condoms were distributed against the 4,5 million female condoms.
To begin with, the female condom has not received favourable uptake since its inception. Besides condoms, men have an alternative for male circumcision as tools for HIV prevention.
