“It does not concern me, it concerns them.” --Them referring to sex workers and drug addicts. This is what most Mauritians generally think.
They are under the impression that they are safe from AIDS, which has turned into a world pandemic within no time. However, the facts are there. The HIV virus is attacking more and more women who are not necessarily sex workers and drug addicts. They are housewives who have non-protected sexual relationships.
Initially, when AIDS was gaining ground in Mauritius, it was found that this was happening because of widespread use of shared needles for injection, among the drug addicts.
However, the trend has reverted. The HIV is getting more feminised and that too among women who least expect to be infected by it. They are usually the housewives. This problem does not escape the attention of the Ministry of Women, Child's Development and Family Welfare.
To sensitise people to the gravity of the situation and to see together what can be done, the Ministry in association with the AIDS Unit of the Ministry of Health, Prévention Information Lutte contre le Sida (PILS) and Dr Idriss Goomany Centre conducted an interactive session on the incidence of HIV/AIDS on women recently.
Present on the occasion, the Minister Indira Seebun revealed that “in contrast to the impression that we had that HIV/AIDS is only for the African countries, there are now many heterosexual couples who are being affected. 48% of patients affected by HIV are women. All this is due to infidelity in couples,” she says. Her Ministry is promoting fidelity, specially among menfolk. Alongside, she reiterated that many men do not want to use condoms. She pursued by saying that if a woman has doubts about her partner, she better protects herself.
“Protecting oneself has got two advantages. Firstly, it limits the risk of the propagation of the disease. Secondly, it also helps in family planning,” she says.
Long time back, people did not know about female contraceptive methods, but now these have become popular throughout the globe and Mauritius is no exception to this new trend, she adds.
Devarajen Chellapermal of the AIDS Unit of the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life says that AIDS is no more seen as a deadly disease.
“It has become rather a chronic disease, just like Diabetes,” he says.
However, he emphasises the fact that prevention is better than cure. He explains that women are more at risk than men. During sexual intercourse, very little vaginal fluid can penetrate the urethra, but seminal discharge can verily easily spread to the vaginal walls. Thus, the risk of the woman being infected by the HIV positive male is far higher than the man being infected by the HIV positive female.
Devarajen also explains that many young girls are also infected by the virus because in order to get sexual experiences, they go out with men who are much older than them, usually married, unfaithful men. Besides, the sexual organs of the young girls, still being in the development period puts them more in danger of contracting the disease.
Pregnancy period, delivery time and post-natal period can be dangerous for babies whose mothers are HIV positive.
“The probability that pregnant, HIV positive women infect their babies before, during and after birth, is at 30%,” says Devarajen. He explains that during the third term of pregnancy, when the baby starts moving in the womb of the mother, the latter's blood can get in the umbilical cord. However, the infected women are recipient to anti-retroviral treatment during that same period.
Then, during delivery, the infected
blood of the mother can get into the eyes, nose, mouth for these organs are open. Following the birth of a child, through breastfeeding, the infected mother can pass on the virus to her infant. Nevertheless, this third transmission possibility can be avoided through cesarian (depending on the woman's health), and feeding the child with powder milk instead of mother's milk (the government is providing infected mothers with powder milk for two years following the birth of their baby).
Brigitte Michèle of PILS votes for education and prevention as the means and solution to combat HIV/AIDS. She explains that women are very vulnerable with the practice of sodomy.
“Many women, in order to preserve their virginity until their marriage, resort to sodomy for their sexual satisfaction. This is dangerous. There are veins which can break. Thus, an infected man can very easily transmit the virus to his partner,” she says. Furthermore, when a woman is raped, she is more prone to contract the HIV, than a willing woman.
According to her, young girls must delay their sexual activities. Other advice which she gives are to stop multiple partner practice, women sexual health empowerment, going for HIV tests, among others. She also expounds on the in-depth and intertwined relationship between poverty and prostitution.
Many sex workers do not resist the refusal of their clients to use condom. Still many prostitutes are incited to consume drugs following a sexual intercourse. Other women are sent to sell their bodies, by their partners, to earn money for drugs. These realities but endanger those women. She suggests that sex workers should be registered and obtain a health card which would allow them to follow treatment.
Female condom was high on the agenda. Brigitte explains that it is very useful in cases where the man does not want to make use of condom. Additionally, she can place the condom eight hours before intercourse; it is washable and can therefore be re-used. But, it is not yet accessible in all places and quite expensive, compared to male condom.
Is there a cure for AIDS?
Worryingly, many people think there is a 'cure' for AIDS - which makes them feel safer, and perhaps take risks that they otherwise wouldn’t. However, there is still no cure for AIDS. The only way to stay safe is to be aware of how HIV is transmitted and how to prevent HIV infection.
Anti-retroviral treatment can prolong the time between HIV infection and the onset of AIDS. Modern combination therapy is highly effective and someone with HIV who is taking treatment could live for the rest of their life without developing AIDS.
An AIDS diagnosis does not necessarily equate to a death sentence. Many people can still benefit from starting anti-retroviral therapy even once they have developed an AIDS-defining illness. Better treatment and prevention for opportunistic infections have also helped to improve the quality and length of life for those diagnosed with AIDS.
Real life story
A woman infected by HIV says that she met her future husband twelve years back. The latter told her that he was HIV positive. Still, she agreed to marry him. The following year, they got married. At first, the couple used to take precautions during sexual intercourse. But then, the woman stopped resorting to condoms. She explains that she knew what was awaiting her in terms of the risks she was running. Yet, she remained firm on her decision. Eventually, she got infected too.
“I wanted to share that with my husband. I wanted to know what he was undergoing so that even I could understand and share the same,” she says.
Years later, she still loves her husband as much as she used to before their marriage. When asked if she does not regret having taken the decision of quitting the use of condom, she replied. “No regrets,” she says.
SOURCE: defimedia.info
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