Socio-Demographic Profile of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Idoma Land, Benue State, North- Central Nigeria: Implications for HIV/AIDS Control
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Vol. 5(5), pp. 153-162, August, 2013 DOI: 10.5897/IJSA2013.0448 International Journal of Sociology and ISSN 2006- 988x © 2013 Academic Journals Anthropology http://www.academicjournals.org/IJSA Full Length Research Paper Socio-demographic profile of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Idoma land, Benue state, North- central Nigeria: Implications for HIV/AIDS control Emmanuel E. ANYEBE1*, Joseph M. HELLANDENDU2 and John E. GYONG2 1Research/Training Unit, Department of Nurse Education, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria-Nigeria 2Department of Sociology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria-Nigeria. Accepted 10 June, 2013 The profile of PLWHA constitutes a subject of interest in HIV/AIDS control initiatives. This study investigated the socio-demographic attributes of PLWHA in Idoma land, Benue State [Nigeria], with a view to suggesting customized measures for HIV/AIDS control. A total of 133 PLWHA and 25 relatives of PLWHA selected from two HIV/AIDS treatment centres provided the data through a survey questionnaire. Health workers and community/group leaders similarly provided information through IDIs and FGDs on their perceptions on those mostly inflicted by HIV/AIDS. Existing hospital records of HIV screening/admissions were also used. Data collected were analysed descriptively and thematically. Findings showed that PLWHA in Idoma land were predominantly young married farmers and females with low level of income and formal education. Many once married or unmarried PLWHA still intend to remarry or marry respectively; male PLWHA were more likely to desire remarrying. It is concluded that young female and farmers with low educational status and low income are more afflicted by HIV/AIDS. Measures to empower women and young people economically and socially are recommended, in addition to other HIV/AIDS control measures, including mass education tailored toward these more vulnerable groups. Key words: People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), socio-demographic profile, Idoma land, Benue State, Nigeria, HIV/AIDS control measures. INTRODUCTION Poor quality of life is implicated in the propagation of the differential social environment in terms of health HIV/AIDS, and the burden of the disease is dis- inequality and risky behaviours (Naidoo and Mills, 2001). proportionately felt more by those in lower socio- The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is currently the economic groups. Society‟s resources are channeled world‟s leading cause of the sexually transmitted infection towards the maintenance of interests of the powerful over (STI) – AIDS, with at least 10 persons being infected with and above the societal goals of securing and improving the virus every minute globally, two-third of these in sub- public health. This is often reflected in the fact that the Saharan Africa (FMoH, 2010). In Africa, Nigeria ranks lower the social status of the person or family, the less third after South Africa and Zambia in HIV prevalence, access they have to adequate health care (Marmot, with the prevalence rising from 1.8% in 1991 to 5.8% in 2003; Place, 2000). The prevalence and impact of 2001, and a decline from 4.4% in 2005 to 4.1% in 2010 disease and illness on society as a whole is thus linked to (UNAIDS/WHO, 2011). Studies on the socio- *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]. Tel: +2348036422771. 154 Int. J. Sociol. Anthropol. characteristics of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) distribution of HIV/AIDS among population thus has have shown that the most vulnerable segments of the implications for public health and the social structures of population, that is, women, the young including children the community such as the family and marriages. This (IHVN-ACTION, 2009), and those living in rural areas situation has been viewed by Barnett and Blaikie (1991) (Oke, 1999), constitute the majority of those infected with as an „impending disaster‟, a tilt toward the disaster theory the virus. Other scholars refer to these vulnerable groups (Foulkes, 2010). HIV/AIDS may become a threat to the of people as “those who are politically and economically foundation of the Idoma nation as a people, since family disadvantaged” (Hellandendu, 2001:5). He linked the life among the Idoma is anchored firmly on procreational propagation of HIV/AIDS to political and economic marriages. In addition, the subsistent agrarian Idoma land dominance-subservience relationships, and the emergent is characterized by low socio-economic status, for deviant sex subculture in the developing countries. example, high poverty levels (Hilhorst et al., 2004). According to him, political and economic situations that The foregoing seems to suggest that HIV/AIDS thrives force young people, mostly young females, into tran- more among the socially disadvantaged and the econo- sactional sex or outright prostitution as a means of mically subservient groups such as the young, the female livelihood contribute significantly to the high prevalence of and unemployed. The main objective of this study is to the disease in many communities. determine the socio-demographic attributes of people The risky behaviours of some PLWHA have been living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Idomaland, an econo- explained by economic situations. According to Hogan mically weak society, with the aim of suggesting how (2006), economic determinism, as a most source of these will guide measures in HIV/AIDS control in the human motivation, is the basis for explaining social beha- study area. viour. Porter (1998) asserts that the material conditions of people determine their behavior. This materialist pers- pective was earlier linked human problems by Marx: METHODOLOGY looking at human challenges in the light of “real conditions of human existence, especially those related Study site to satisfaction of simple economic and material needs” The Idoma land [Nigeria] was selected for this study following the (Marx in Morrison, 2006:41). Where the economic reported high prevalence of HIV/AIDS (The Sunday New Nigerian survivals become difficult, human beings adopt different Editorial 2000; FMoH 2007). Made up of nine Local Government options to achieve their basic needs, indicating the Areas, namely Otukpo, Okpokwu, Oju, Obi, Agatu, Ohimini, Ado, correlation between behaviour and economic materialism. Apa, and Ogbadibo, with Otukpo as its Headquarters (Handbook on Thus in the case of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the HIV Otukpo Local Government, 1990; ICD, 2009), the district is predominantly rural and agrarian. The major ethnic group is Idoma; positive individual‟s risky behaviour is a function of the a homogenous ethnic group with dialectical differences indicated in socio-economic situation of the society (Naidoo and Mills, three distinct speech forms of people (Otukpo, Adoka and Ugboju 2001). The lowest class or the poor tend to engage in dialect, the Edumoga, Otukpa and Orokam dialect and Agila and more risky behaviours (such as casual, unprotected sex Agatu dialects (Ochigbo, 2008). These three ethnic grouping often and substance abuse) than others as a „rational represent the political division of Idoma land along which facilities response‟ to their circumstances. Such risky behaviours and services, including health care services, are distributed. In the traditional Idoma, marriage is usually polygynous. provide a means of „relief‟ (Haralambos et al., 2006). These behaviours correlate with HIV spread, indicating higher prevalence rates in the impoverished stratum of Sample and sampling procedure society. Clandestine sex workers (CSW) mainly by young Site and community selection women and, recently men (men to men sex – MSM) in The three dialectical clusters of Idoma land are politically divided search of economic activities and migrant labourers are into the Idoma West (i.e. the Idoma Enone made up of Okpokwu particularly vulnerable. Some use themselves (their and Ogbadibo LGAs), Idoma North (i.e. the Idoma Icho including bodies) as commodities for transaction or engage in the Otukpo, Ohimini, and Agatu LGAs) and the Agila-Igede cluster certain behaviours to cope, thus becoming prone to STIs (consisting of Ado, Obi , Oju, and Apa LGAs) (ICD 2009). These and HIV/AIDS (Porter, 2008). Highly placed males such formed the target sites for the study. One local government area as company executives, lecturers, and other more was purposively selected from each of the three clusters, based on availability of HIV/AIDS care services/treatment centres, although favoured men equally lure females in need of favour into one of these did not have functional HIV services facility the IDIs sex with little option to negotiate safe sex. The risk of with health and community/group leaders was necessary. The transmission of HIV has also associated with breast- selected LGAs were then stratified into rural and urban settlements feeding (Gillespie, 2005) and female genital mutilation (the urban being the local government headquarters while one of (FGM) (Oyefara, 2013). FGM is widespread in the the other districts from each local government area represented the country in places like Benue and Ondo States but among rural areas). The urban areas were included purposively based on the presence of HIV/AIDS care support groups, and treatment the Idoma, FGM is not a common practice. centres and activities at the headquarters. Most general hospitals The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also been foreseen from usually situated at the local government headquarters, have the onset as a “public health crisis” (Foster, 1986). The HIV/AIDS