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The Phoenix Rising: Widows Living Positively with HIV/AIDS

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The Phoenix Rising: Widows Living Positively with HIV/AIDS International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice Horizon Research Publishing Vol.2. No.4 Aug, 2014, pp. 143-156 The Phoenix Rising: Widows Living Positively with HIV/AIDS Sonny Jose1,*, Lakshmi Mohan2 1Loyola College of Social Sciences, Trivandrum 695017, Kerala, India 2ASAP, Government of Kerala, Trivandrum 695001, Kerala, India *Corresponding Author: [email protected] Abstract HIV/AIDS continues to be a massive women are much more susceptible to HIV, Tuberculosis and development challenge for humanity as it deprives families, Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis-C than the general public. Too communities and entire nations of their young and most often people at higher risk of HIV infection face multiple productive people. The stigma and discrimination towards issues (UNAIDS, 2014). persons living with HIV/AIDS not only affect them, their In the beginning, AIDS was described as a disease families but also prevent them from accessing treatment that complex in homosexual men and resulting from ‘… a virus is very important for their survival. This has significant called HIV, which spreads from person to person through ramifications on women especially since they are always body fluids’ (Starkie, J. & Dale, R., 1988: 9). This labelling more than often innocent victim infected by their husbands has created stigma among persons living with HIV/AIDS who eventually die within months of their being diagnosed forcing them to bear the brunt for in most cases for no cause as HIV-positive. Women with HIV or AIDS are sometimes of their own. HIV/AIDS has been identified by the mistakenly perceived to be the main transmitters of sexually mainstream society as a behaviour-related disease that transmitted diseases (STDs). Generally women are at a “affects others”, although the disease is no longer restricted greater risk of heterosexual transmission of HIV and to groups that have been traditionally marginalized. The biologically twice more likely to become infected through psychological reactions in society stubbornly remain unprotected heterosexual intercourse than men; they are also resistant to accepting the reality. often blamed by their parents and in-laws for infecting their Since HIV hits active young adults, it could be described husbands, or for not controlling their partners urges to have as ‘the killer of the fittest’. The population it leaves behind, is sex with other women. The present paper is a case study that less able to cope; in other words the world keeps losing its explores the experiences of a persons infected with most productive sector. Louwenson and Whiteside have HIV/AIDS, with their immediate family members, summarised the devastating implications of HIV/AIDS as healthcare system, work place and religion and other social unique because it deprives families, communities and entire and institutional domains. It also takes note on the response nations of their young and most productive people. of the affected HIV positive widows to their own infection. At different levels it can affect the individual as well as An attempt is made by the researcher to study and understand society; it can affect the individual psychologically, their lives and to document their strengths in adapting to their physically and socially. The impact of the disease on a changed status and living positively with HIV/AIDS. society can be economic, demographic and social. The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on both national Keywords Feminisation, Discrimination, HIV/AIDS, development and household economies has compounded a PLHIVs, Stigma, Resilience, Widows whole range of challenges surrounding poverty and inequality. The epidemic is deepening poverty, reversing human development achievements, worsening gender inequalities, eroding the ability of governments to maintain Introduction essential services, reducing labour productivity and supply, and putting a brake on economic growth. The worsening HIV/AIDS is a massive development challenge of global conditions in turn put people and households even more at proportions facing human societies. Of the 35 million people risk of, or vulnerable to, the epidemic, and sabotages global living with HIV/AIDS in the world, 19 million do not know and national efforts to improve access to treatment and care they are HIV positive. Adolescent girls and innocent young (UNDP, 2005). A deeper understanding needs to be evolved women account for one in four new HIV infections in to break this vicious cycle and to ensure a sustainable sub-Saharan Africa. The vulnerable especially, prisoners and solution to the HIV/AIDS crisis. ISSN: 2332-6840 (Online) 2332-6832 (Print) Copyright © 2014 Horizon Research Publishing Sonny Jose et al. Horizon Research Publishing In 2009, it was estimated that there were 2.4 million predominant mode of HIV transmission is through people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIVs) in India, equating to heterosexual contact. Even within the same country, 0.3% in prevalence. While this may apparently seem low responses to HIV/AIDS will vary between individuals and because India's population is so large, it stands third in the groups of people. Religion, gender, sexuality, age and levels world, in terms of greatest number of PLHIVs. With a of AIDS education can all affect how somebody feels about population of around a billion, a mere 0.1% increase in HIV HIV and AIDS. Discrimination, Stigmatization and Denial prevalence would increase the estimated number of people (DSD) are the expected outcomes of such values, affecting living with HIV by over half a million. HIV infection in India life in families, communities, workplaces, schools and health is currently concentrated among poor, marginalized groups, care settings. Because of HIV/AIDS related DSD, including commercial sex workers, truck drivers, and appropriate policies and models of good practice remain migrant labourers, men who have sex with men (MSM) and underdeveloped. People living with HIV and AIDS continue injecting drug users (IDUs). Transmission of HIV within and to be burdened by poor care and inadequate services, whilst from these groups drives the epidemic, but the infection is those with the power to help, do little to better the suffering. spreading rapidly to the general community. The large Women with HIV or AIDS may be treated very differently population, low literacy and even lower levels of awareness from men in some societies where they are economically, has made AIDS one of the most challenging public health culturally and socially disadvantaged. They are sometimes problems ever faced by the country. As it’s a life-threatening mistakenly perceived to be the main transmitters of sexually disease, people react to it in strong ways. HIV infection is transmitted diseases (STDs). Men are more likely than often associated with behaviour’s (such as homosexuality, women to be 'excused' for the misdemeanuors that resulted in drug addiction, prostitution or promiscuity) that are already their infection. Generally women are at a greater risk of stigmatized in many societies. India is painfully realizing the heterosexual transmission of HIV. Biologically women are impossibility of achieving the dream of 'Health for all' in the twice more likely to become infected with HIV through foreseeable future. unprotected heterosexual intercourse than men. In many countries women are less likely to be able to negotiate condom use and are more likely to be subjected to Feminisation of the HIV/AIDS non-consensual sex.Women are also often blamed by their Pandemic parents and in-laws for infecting their husbands, or for not controlling their partners urges to have sex with other Rarely perceived as a major public health issue in India, women. The rising number of women (over 1.9 million at the AIDS has taken on nightmarish proportions in recent years. last count) afflicted with AIDS is setting off alarm bells in Globally, by the end of 2005, an estimated 40.3 million the in the Indian medical fraternity – especially since more people were living with HIV, and of these, as many as 17.5 than 90 percent of these are married women and are in a million (i.e. more than 40 percent) were women. This bridge monogamous relationship. population, mainly migrants and truckers, extend the Female widowhood has been recognized as one of the transmission to their female sexual partner(s) and from them most important risk factors for HIV infection in India in at to their children. Preventive interventions focused on high least two previous population-based studies. The most risk groups have attained impressive results reducing the important route of HIV transmission in India is through incidence of HIV. However, new data are suggesting that the sexual contacts and more than 90% of infected women HIV epidemic in India is evolving into a more generalized acquire the infection from their husbands. It has been distribution in the population. observed that HIV is an important cause of death among Though the “feminisation” of the pandemic is more young men in Indian States with higher prevalence of HIV. apparent in Saharan Africa, the HIV infection rate among Since husbands acquire HIV earlier, they are likely to die women, in India, is also steadily rising. In India, women before their wives, even if both members of the couple are account for around 2 million of the approximately 5.2 infected. In many cases, these HIV positive widows are left million estimated cases of people living with HIV in 2005, in deplorable situations due to illiteracy and lack of constituting 39 percent of all HIV infections. Of the 1,11,608 emotional and economical support. Specific programs cases of AIDS detected in the country till 31 July 2005, focused on HIV screening and providing economical and females accounted for almost 30 percent. It has been found psychological support of HIV positive widows are urgently that the impact of HIV/AIDS reaches far beyond the health needed in India. sector, with severe economic and social consequences.
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