World AIDS Day 2011

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, at the end of 2010, 34 million people worldwide are living with HIV.  Globally, the percentage of women living with HIV has held steady at 50%, but in sub-Saharan Africa, the percentage is 59%. 

On December 1^st, World AIDS Day, we at Transitions would like to remind you of the intersection of HIV/AIDS infection and violence against women and girls.  Due to the biology of their genitalia, females are twice as likely as males to contract HIV from unprotected heterosexual intercourse.  There are a great many situations, both domestically and abroad, where women and girls do not have the power to negotiate safe sex practices or to refuse sex.

Women who are victims of sexual violence are at an increased risk of HIV exposure.  They do not have control over a nonconsensual sexual encounter.  Whether the perpetrator uses a condom or not, what type of intercourse they engage in, who the perpetrator is—these are all decisions that the victim cannot make.  The nature of rape, and the realities of the aftermath are also difficult for victims to face.  When victims come to the Emergency Room after a rape, the SANE nurses conduct an HIV test.  The most commonly given HIV test is actually an HIV Antibody Test.  These antibodies can take approximately between 6 weeks to three months develop.  In order for a victim of sexual violence to be accurately screened, she must return to a medical facility in 3 months to be tested again for HIV.  This presents a problem for many sexual violence victims.  They often want to put the assault behind them and move on with their lives.  Having to get an HIV test can feel like the perpetrator still has the power to affect them for the rest of their lives.

A study done in South Africa has found that women who have violent or controlling male partners are at a higher risk for HIV infection.  This is due to abusive men being more likely to engage in risky sexual practices.  These men are also more likely to be infected with HIV themselves.  Often, women who must think of their safety first are not able to effectively negotiate sexual practices due to fear.  Some of the risky sexual practices include having unprotected sex and having sexual encounters with multiple partners.  The female partners often do not have the power within their relationship to demand monogamy from their male partners, although monogamy is expected from the female partner.  Another study done in India had similar findings that women who are victims of intimate partner violence are at greater risk for HIV infection.  This is a result of the higher infection levels of abusive men and the increased rate of HIV transmission in abusive relationships.

A conversation about HIV/AIDS and violence against women would be amiss without mentioning the use of rape in war.  Where armed conflict is prevalent, there have been many reports of rape being used as a weapon of war.   According to Amnesty International, in every armed conflict between 1999 and 2000 they investigated, the torture of women was reported. In Rwanda, the sexual violence that occurred during the genocide is thought to have caused their country’s HIV/AIDS Epidemic.  It is estimated that a half million girls and women were raped and that 67 per cent of them became infected with HIV.

Although HIV/AIDS is not in the headlines, as it once was, please remember there are still people suffering, struggling to combat a disease that they had no choice in contracting.