The Silent Partner: HIV in Marriage [Documentary]

[Guest guest]

This 12-minute documentary was filmed and produced in Kenya by Population Action

International (PAI). The film explores some of the complex realities of married

women, and how the challenges of HIV prevention in this group defy simple

solutions.

According to the producers, the film urges a broader, integrated approach to

preventing HIV, which includes confronting damaging

social norms that put all people - men and women alike – at risk. It is designed

to raise awareness of the risk of HIV transmission within marriage and

illustrate the particular challenges facing married women.

It also shows that traditional approaches to HIV prevention do not meet the

needs of married women, because practicing abstinence is unrealistic, wives

cannot control the faithfulness of their husbands, and because they find it

difficult to negotiate condom use.

The producers say that there are steps that can be taken to reduce the

vulnerability of married women and men to HIV infection, including stronger

policies, better prevention strategies, and changes in harmful social norms.

These steps can include:

- educating men and women about social norms and how those norms

negatively impact men and women’s health;

- building political will to enact and reform policies to reduce women's

vulnerability;

- ensuring legal protections for women’s property and inheritance rights;

- enacting and enforcing laws against domestic violence and rape,

including marital rape;

- achieving equality in girls’ education at all levels;

- increasing HIV counseling and testing focused on couples;

- developing programmes that promote condom use among married couples; and

- integrating HIV services with family planning and reproductive health services

to reach more married women with information and support (such programmes also

have a history of increasing male involvement in reproductive health decision

making).

This film is intended to be used as an advocacy tool to inform, provoke

discussion, and mobilise political and financial support for evidence-based HIV

prevention, sexual and reproductive health and rights programmes, and broader

social and economic policies to improve the lives of women and their families.

The film is accompanied by fact

sheets <http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?m=1172eb709d508a335095d63b49d26278>

that can be downloaded from the website and used at organised screenings.

Click here to access this film online.

<http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?r=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.populationaction.org%2F\

silentpartner%2F>

Publisher Population Action

International

<http://www.comminit.com/en/node/296801/347>

Cost Free to download

Languages

English

Contact Population Action International

1300 19th Street, NW Suite 200

Washington DC

20036-1624

United States

Tel: +1 202 557 3400

Fax: +1 202 728 4177

Population Action International

website<http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?r=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.populationaction\

..org%2FAbout_PAI%2FIndex.shtml>

Web-based contact

form<http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?r=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.populationaction.or\

g%2FAbout_PAI%2FContact_Us.shtml>

<http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?r=>

pai@...

--

Dr RK Sood

(Masters in Applied Epidemiology)

drrksood@..., dapokangra@...

District AIDS Project Officer, # 402 C, ZH Dharmashala, HP. 176215, India +91

9418064077, +91 1892-225559