Bringing the virus home

[Guest guest]

Magazine: WORLD AIDS DAY: December 1

Bringing the virus home

SMITA JAIN

Government campaigns on AIDS still target traditionally stigmatised

" high-risk " populations but the truth is that the most at risk are

women among the general population.

IT is a beautifully crafted music video that describes the love story

of a happily married couple, enacted by celebrities Mandira Bedi and

Samir Soni. The lilting lyrics are by award-winning lyricist Prasoon

Joshi, the director is Arjun Bali of Red Ice Films, and the

mesmerising voice is that of Shubha Mudgal.

Though it sounds like the perfect formula for the latest Bollywood

Indi-pop single, the video couldn't be more different. The message of

the video, called " Maati " , is one that strikes you squarely in the

face: are you the kind of man who wouldn't use a condom for the safety of your

wife?

Today, India is home to the second-largest AIDS epidemic in the world

(after Africa), with more than 52,00,000 people living with the

disease. Of these, nearly 20,00,000 are women, and this number is

rising fast. While the prevailing notion is that the majority of

HIV-positive women are commercial sex workers, statistics show that

they comprise only around one per cent of the total.

Grim reality

Given prevailing gender norms in Indian society, the reality that this points to

is grim: the majority of women infected are married women whose husbands or

primary sexual partners are engaging in high-risk sexual behaviour outside

marriage and are, in effect, " bringing home " the virus.

The Economist magazine predicts that women will soon be a majority of

those infected by HIV/AIDS the world over, " with male chauvinism

largely to blame " . Research has shown that women are more vulnerable

epidemiologically, biologically and socially to contracting HIV/AIDS,

and young women are particularly at risk. Indeed, it is estimated that women are

nearly 2.5 times more likely to contract HIV than their male counterparts.

In a society where discussion of sex is largely taboo, there are

currently few avenues for women to get reliable information about

HIV/AIDS. " Far too many women do not know how AIDS is spread, " notes

Irfan Khan of the Naz Foundation. " There need to be more spaces where

women and girls can access information about HIV/AIDS, and also engage in open

discussions on sexual health and sexuality. "

Alarming spread

The rate at which AIDS is spreading among women in the general

population is alarming, and the Indian Government is not acting fast

enough to check its spread. " I think the situation is pretty much out

of hand as far as I'm concerned, " says Anjali Gopalan of the

Foundation. " We're seeing a tremendous rise in numbers of women who

are living with HIV. "

Government campaigns still mainly target traditionally stigmatised

" high-risk " populations: sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSM),

intravenous drug users and migrant populations. Yet the reality is that the new

face of AIDS is that of a young, married woman, who may live in a home near you.

Recognising the growing risk faced by young and married women, the

video " Maati " is a part of a multi-media campaign entitled " What Kind

of Man Are You? " launched by human rights group Breakthrough, to

promote dialogue and equality within marriage and encourage condom use among

men. " The purpose of the campaign is not to place the blame on men, " says

assistant director Alika Khosla, " but simply to sensitise them about the issues

that women face, and ask them to sit up and think about the needs of a woman. "

While men usually contract the disease by engaging in high-risk sexual

behaviour, for Indian women, marriage is often the biggest HIV/AIDs risk, with

nearly four-fifths of new infections being amongst married women. For Indian

women, who usually marry young — it is estimated that nearly 60 per cent of

women in rural India marry before the age of 16 — there is an urgent need to

spread awareness about AIDS and the importance of negotiating condom use with

their partners. Yet AIDS is not simply an affliction only of the poor, rural

Indian woman. The number of urban, affluent women afflicted by the disease is

rising.

Change in attitude

" It is a misperception that all educated women in our society —

married or unmarried — are aware of the disease, and are able to

easily negotiate condom use with their partners, " says Khosla. " When a woman

asks a man to use a condom, men often perceive it as accusing

them of infidelity. This attitude needs to change. "

For many women, knowledge of their HIV positive status is often

accompanied by violence, stigma and abandonment by their families and

societies. Meena's husband threw her out of the house after learning

about her HIV status, which she had discovered during a

pregnancy-related check up. He refused to get himself tested, placed

the entire blame of the infection on Meena, and abandoned her along

with their three children. He filed for a divorce from her on the

grounds that she was HIV-positive, and married another woman.

Usha, 26, found out her HIV positive status two years ago, as her

husband lay dying of tuberculosis. " We sought treatment for months and months,

and couldn't understand why he wasn't getting better. At a bigger hospital, they

confirmed his HIV- positive condition.

Immediately after, they tested me. "

Her husband is the only person she has had sexual contact with, and

she was unaware of his other sexual partners. She has not told her

family members about her condition, as she is unsure what their

reaction will be. " I don't want to burden people with my pains. Due to god's

grace, I have not yet had a reason to think about my condition.

I work hard every day, with the knowledge that my daughter may study

and have a better life. I want to show people that even we can lead

happy, positive lives. "

" Women need to know more about AIDS, and myths need to be dispelled. I know that

I will never marry again as I do not want to afflict anyone else with the

disease. Men need to begin to think the same way. "

Indeed, if India is to stem the threatening tidal wave of atrocities

against its women — and prevent an epidemic of African proportions —

an attitudinal change amongst men is urgent, and necessary.

E-mail the writer at: smitajain2@...

© Copyright 2000 - 2005 The Hindu

Date:27/11/2005 URL:

http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mag/2005/11/27/stories/2005112700190400.htm