Women living with HIV will for the first time the protagonists of a project to meet their living conditions and health in thirteen Latin American countries. This initiative aims to get to know their personal stories to communicate “what the numbers say no” and demand government policies that meet s specific needs.
An estimated 550 000 adults living with HIV in the region and represent 34% of the 1.6 million people infected on the continent. The project dedicated to this group, which is disclosed under the Global Day of Action for Health of Women, held on 28 May, has the support of UNAIDS, and is carried out by the Latin Movement Caribbean and Positive Women (MLCM +), which since 1999 brings together organizations from 19 countries in the region to improve the quality of life of those living with HIV / AIDS.
“Women are now one of the groups most affected by the epidemic, for reasons both biological and socio-cultural, but are outside of public policy,” said a statement.
Is that the main mode of transmission for women is through heterosexual sex without a condom, which refers to many acquire the virus from their husbands or intimate partners. “However, until now there had studied the risks and vulnerabilities of women to HIV, such as the relationship between the possibility of becoming infected and living conditions such as violence, abuse, sexism, lack of opportunity or education, among other factors, “said MLCM +.
The agency claims to know “this information is key to develop actions in line.” Therefore, it is proposed to generate and organize quantitative and qualitative data on the positive women’s lives, especially their sexual and reproductive rights, and those obstacles, strengths and weaknesses that were found from living with the virus. The research provides for the development of interviews with adults with HIV to disclose their stories.
The project “Research Diagnostic: vulnerability of women living with HIV / AIDS in the region” and is being developed in 13 Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Peru, Guatemala and Panama.
“Some respondents reported having experienced abuse and violence by medical and health services, for example, labeling them” irresponsible “if they were pregnant, discourage them from having children, or directly to force them to be sterilized, even though there are treatments for baby born healthy. Their experiences are part of this research with the hope that it will serve to “prevent the recurrence of these situations with other mujeres’y ‘can be embedded in this society as it should, as human beings with rights,’” said the statement MLCM + .
The study also seeks to make visible the HIV vulnerability of women who are not considered within the “risk groups” such as housewives, wives or intimate partners.
Violet Ross, a member of the movement in Bolivia, he said: “If a woman wants to be considered a vulnerable group to be sexual workers, drug users or pregnant women that were not present in public policy.” Marcela Asian, president of MLCM +, said: “Women with HIV are invisible on the agendas of governments and to be invisible there is no plans, no policies, and resources aimed at prevention.”
The positive involvement of activists in each of the stages of work-study from planning to implementation and dissemination is one of the newest components of the project.
“By studying, I myself will I be able to show the reality of my classmates. It is work that we perform for our peers, for our partners, “said one of the women participating in this initiative.