The Impact of Social, Cultural, and Economic Factors on Women's Risk of STIs Infection
First,
we need to know what are STIs and STDs, what are these diseases, why are they
called deadly diseases? Diseases which are life threatening if not treated are
called fatal diseases. STIs is (Sexually transmitted infections) and (Sexually
Transmitted Diseases). Several diseases can be transmitted in the same way. The
mode of transmission of these diseases is as follows. A group of diseases that
need to be known is called Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). 8 pathogens
are associated with the greatest incidence of STIs. 4 of these are currently
curable: syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomoniasis. The other 4 are
chronic viral infections: hepatitis B, herpes simplex virus (HSV), HIV/AIDS,
and human papillomavirus (HPV). Hope the matter is clear to you.
The
opinion of poor and developing countries is that women and young girls are more
vulnerable to STDs infection due to the biological nature of any sexual contact
process and the sensitivity of genital tissues to the virus, especially in
teenage girls. For example, young women tend to be disadvantaged due to gender
differences in food consumption and access to health services. Girls often have
poorer growth patterns than boys. Inequalities appear soon after birth, and
many girls are clearly underweighting by the teenage years. Due to social,
cultural and economic forces, women are more likely to contract STDs than men.
Women are often unable to negotiate safe sex, for example due to their weaker
status, financial dependence and fear of violence.
Recently,
"Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation" has mainly focused on
three works related to STIs in some area - community mobilization for
prevention through promotion of fidelity, condom and abstinence; promoting
access to affordable treatment for drug manufacturers and international donor
organizations; and seek to ensure "mainstream" support to individuals
and communities affected by STIs so that they can be integrated into poverty
alleviation. STIs is closely linked to poverty and gender inequality. Without
reducing gender discrimination and poverty, any effort to prevent STIs or
achieve sustainable development in this area will fail.
Adolescent
girls living in poor families in developing countries often do not have the
opportunity to make real choices about their sexual and reproductive lives,
such as when and whom to marry, whether and when and how many children to have,
and whether to use contraception. Women tend to marry very young: almost
two-thirds of young people in most South Asian countries marry before the age
of 18, and many even before the age of 15, although the law prohibits such
early marriage.
In
many impoverished areas, women's limited economic opportunities and relative
powerlessness may force them to engage in sex work to survive a household
economic disaster. This exposes them to STDs infection and they in turn
transmit STDs to their clients. In these areas, girls are particularly
vulnerable to STDs due to intergenerational sex, violence and limited access to
information. In addition, discrimination and stigma hinder adolescent girls'
access to health services. Poverty increases immigration in search of work.
Gender
analysis of STIs has focused on women of childbearing age and rarely on young
girls, as young women and girls are increasingly sexually assaulted by older
men looking for safe partners and also by those who mistakenly believe that a
man with STIs can escape the disease through sex with a virgin. The STIs
epidemic therefore contributed to gender inequality or discrimination. Unequal
power relations, sexual coercion and violence are widely experienced by women
of all ages and have many negative effects on women's sexual, physical and
mental health.
In
many developing countries, poverty and gender discrimination of women and men
are strongly linked to the spread of STIs. The gender and age analysis shows
how women and girls of different ages are vulnerable to infection and require
assistance to help survivors deal with the economic and social impact of the
epidemic. Approaches to STIs control and poverty alleviation are interrelated.
Therefore,
health and development workers should develop integrated policies and programs
to reduce poverty and fight STIs. They should emphasize the need for special
measures to protect women and girls at risk of STIs and ensure that the legal,
civil and human rights of those affected and infected are properly protected
and that women have access to treatment, counseling and support on an equal
footing with men.
Source and References:
UNCDF-UN Capital Development Fund
UNDP-United Nations Development Programme
WHO- World Health Organization
CDC-
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
USAID- United
States Agency for International Development
Abbreviation:
STDs-sexually transmitted diseases
STI- sexually transmitted infection
HIV- Human immunodeficiency virus
AIDS- acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
CSWs- Commercial Sex Workers
RSWs- Residential Sex Workers
SSWs-Street Sex Worker
HSWs-Hotel Sex Workers
MSWs-Mobile Sex Workers
IDUs-injecting drug users
FSWs-female sex workers
MSM-Men Who Have Sex with Men
