New method of protection against HIV/AIDS/HSV-2 for women!

Earlier this week my Mother told me about a new product that curbs the risk of HIV infection. At first I was skeptical, I thought her story was too good to be true. I went home later that day and did some research to try and confirm if what my Mother heard on the radio was the real deal.

Within minutes I found an article which supported her claims and made me really excited! Finally some progress is being made! It is true, scientists have reported that there is a new gel that has proved capable of preventing the AIDS virus!

A study conducted in South Africa report that the gel has the potential to reduce a women's chances of getting HIV and HSV-2 virus from an infected partner by half. And though this is not full protection such news brings great hope for women all over the world.

The gel would be a helpful tool in protecting women whose partners won't use condoms. It would have an even greater impact in African countries which have the highest incidence of rape and child rape. The long-lived belief in the so called “Virgin Cure” make young African girls especially vulnerable to rape and infection. In places like the Congo where girls as young as 2 and women as old as 80 are raped such protection is vital!

The new vagina gel is the first women-initiated and controlled HIV prevention and if confirmed it would help end the AIDS epidemic. Thirty three million people are infected today and over twenty five million people have died due to this disease. The AIDS epidemic is a global issue and it has to stop. I personally have lost someone to AIDS and I look forward to the day when people no longer have to suffer. Though we still do not have a cure for AIDS science has brought women some more options for protection and this is progress!

In Honor of World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day.

Around the world, women continue to be denied their basic human rights: violence against women, poverty, lack of access to education and basic health care services. This denial makes women more susceptible to HIV/AIDS.

A few weeks ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a landmark study which identifies "AIDS-related illnesses as the leading cause of death and disease among women of reproductive age in low and middle income countries, particularly in [Sub-Saharan] Africa."

The report also stated that around the world, unsafe sex is the single leading risk factor contributing to deaths among women of reproductive age.

Women make up approximately half of all people living with HIV worldwide. In Sub-Saharan Africa, women make up an estimated 57% of adults living with HIV, and three quarters of young people living with disease there are young women aged 15-24.

The US, the largest funder to global health programs, has a $48 billion dollar AIDS initiative called PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) which notoriously promotes the ABC (abstinence, be faithful, and as a last resort use condoms) prevention program in Africa.

This has widely been proven to be an ineffective strategy in preventing HIV/AIDS transmissions. It is harmful and simply does not work. The ABC program places condom distribution and usage, which is the most effective barrier method against the disease, at a low priority.

Moreover, to change US policies which needlessly harm women and girls around the world, we must take action!

Here is what you can do:

• Raise awareness on the emphasis of ineffective abstinence and fidelity prevention programs in PEPFAR.
• Educate your campus about its harmful impact on young women.
• Demand that the US change its policy to promote safe sex practices, access to comprehensive reproductive health and rights services, and sex education.
  

Take Action on World AIDS Day, and every day, to save women's lives around the world.

U.S. Religious Leaders Paving the way to Homophobia in Africa

There's an article on RH Reality Check today that really caught my attention. "Globalizing the Culture Wars" by Amie Newman summarizes the Political Research Associates report by the same name, that investigates the ties between American conservative religious leaders, U.S. funding and a recent upsurge in homophobic attitudes, violence and legislation in Africa.

You may have heard about the draconian anti-LGBT legislation introduced in Uganda, that would make same sex relations of any sort punishable by life in prison and would also threaten those guilty of "promoting homosexuality" with imprisonment. Not only is this a huge violation of human rights but it would also severely damage HIV/AIDS prevention efforts and other LGBTQ support services. The Ugandan bill isn't the only one of its kind recently and an increase in hateful legislation only leads to increased intolerance, discrimination and violence.

Well, it turns out ultra-conservative American religious leaders like Rick Warren and organizations like the Institute for Religion and Democracy, and others, may be to blame for these upsurges. The PRA Report finds that anti-gay U.S. religious institutions and leaders have developed close relationships with African clergy members and religious leaders and have provided huge financial incentives in exchange for anti-gay stances and support of local anti-gay legislation.

Hmm...why does this sound familiar? Oh yes - I recall that just last week the Archdiocese of Washington and Catholic Charities threatened to pull their funding from homeless services in DC unless the DC council changed its stance on same-sex marriage.

So perhaps we shouldn't be all too surprised. But we should be outraged. Not only are U.S. religious figures paving the way to homophobia in Africa, but the U.S. government distributes PEPFAR monies to many of the anti-LGBTQ African religious leaders. That's your tax dollars. And, needless to say, tax dollars that should be spent reducing the occurrence of HIV/AIDS through scientifically-proven practices, NOT anti-homosexuality agendas.

So what can you do? The report details a list of ideas, some of which include putting pressure on American religious leaders, putting pressure on the U.S. government, and raising support for LGBTQ and equal rights activists in Africa - because they need it!

Great Article on Secretary of State Clinton

Anyone who has been following the news for the past week or so is probably aware of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's trip to Africa. Unfortunately, though, many people seem unaware of the actual work she is doing there. Her trip has been boiled down to a moment or frustration when questioned about her husband's opinion on China.

Judith Warner has a fantastic column in the New York Times discussing the work that Hillary Clinton has done in Africa and the issues that she continues to face as a woman in such a high-profile position. Her main point: we need to stop viewing Hillary Clinton as a source of entertainment and start taking her seriously as a politician. Until we do that, we have no chance of success in advocating for women's rights around the globe.

South Africa also poses dangers for women

We've been talking a lot about the rape epidemic in the Congo, but rape is a serious problem in much of the world. In South Africa, women still face enormous discrimination and violence. In a piece on Huffington Post, Alex Matthews says that despite being a democracy that "ensures" equality for women, most girls and women face a number of horrors.

In his piece, Matthews lays out the abuses women face from strip searches to rape to virginity tests. He also gives his explanation for why such widespread discrimination and abuse exists still.

I think that one of the most serious and pressing concerns of our world today is violence against women and the continuing sexism. If the world worked to eradicate violence against women and maternal mortality, relief efforts will be more effective and lives of millions will be safer and happier. If governments and people want to make our world a better place, they have to start with women.
Photo courtesy of www.flickr/strandloper

Male or Female, Sexual Violence Is the Arm of Oppression

The Congo is going through one of the most unstable, violent periods of its history. We have heard about the thousands of women who are raped in an effort to control the population. But what we are probably less aware of is the growing number of male rape survivors in the area.

The New York Times has a piece about this less well known epidemic. According to the article, there are probably hundreds of male rape survivors in the area.

Just as sexual violence has been used to exert power over women for centuries, it is being used to destroy the lives of these men for the same reason. The article states that being raped is a socially stigmatizing experience for these men who are often ostracized because of a negative view of homosexuality. They are often viewed by others as being less masculine.

I think it is important to look at how sexual violence is one way that power relations and oppression can be enacted against everyone, regardless of sexuality, gender, race, or class. The problem is sexual violence and traditional norms of masculine behavior. Regardless of whether or not the victim is male or female, the aggressors are using behaviors that they have been taught to use to reinforce their masculinity and power positions that are completely inhumane and unacceptable.

Photo courtesy of www.flickr/halfcrazy

Protesting Health Care in Zambia

Earlier this summer in Zambia, there was a health care workers strike that appeared to have no end in sight. In effort to urge government to work to end the strike, the news editor of the local newspaper sent photos of a woman giving birth outside a closed hospital to the vice president and a number of other organizations.

The photos of a desperate woman struggling to survive, instead of being taken as the evidence of a serious problem, were considered pornography and Chansa Kabwela, the editor, was arrested this Monday and faces five years in prison.

Ms. Kabwela said that she sent the photos to try and get people concerned about how the strike was disproportionately effecting women. She faced additional criticism from women's groups who said that she had violated the woman's rights by circulating "inappropriate" photos.

Photo courtesy of www.flickr/kioko

Witchcraft: Still Happening in 2009

Many of us associate witches with Halloween, the occasional monty python skit, or even witch doctors, but it is shocking to hear that people still believe that witches exist! BBC reported on a village called Kisii in Kenya, where those deemed to be witches are actually burned at the stake by the community at large, with support of the local police. Witchcraft is commonplace there, and in many other communities throughout Africa and parts of Asia.

One member of the Kisii community was quoted by BBC, and said, " 'In other communities, there are witches all round but in Kisii we have come up with a new method, we want to kill these people using our own hands.' " REALLY.

Naturally men are in the minority of witches, but are stigmatized for being relatives of other witches.

In 2008, a Nigerian man was arrested for killing 110 child "witches," who had been abandoned by their parents who also believed the children to be witches. The murderer had explained that he had killed the witches, not the children, creating a disconnect between a human life, and one of a "witch." The children are often used as scapegoats to explain links to poverty or pain that adults experience.

I can't honestly say that much is happening on the international level to put an end to witchcraft, as there are seemingly bigger fish to fry than stopping a superstition, although this is an issue that we need to publicize and put a stop to!

World Economic Forum: Progress Across Africa Depends on Girls

This month girls were the focus at the World Economic Forum on Africa to highlight what is working in the region and what still needs drastic improvement. Girls make up more than 75% of HIV positive youth in Africa and those numbers are not decreasing. Young girls face tremendous challenges throughout childhood and adolescence with high drop out rates, early marriage, early pregnancy, and minimal access to medical care.

While staggering statistics and painful stories are often the images sent out of Africa, I was delighted to hear that the international community is acknowledging and discussing the crucial role girls play in economic development! Finally, influential people with the power to make real change are talking solutions to some of the world's biggest problems and they are finally focusing on girls.

The panelists highlighted the importance of investing in "The Girl Effect" which is no new news. The research documents that investing in girls provides exponential returns - girls will do more with the resources offered to them and invest more into the health and education of their family and community.

The forum emphasized that...

• Investing in girls is smart economically
  
• Economic solutions are often masked by culture
• Girls must be reached before age 12 to have an impact
  
• Girls won't count until we count them
• A little bit of support is not enough

I just got back from a semester abroad in Kenya (the girls in the photo are from my village in Bodo, Kenya!) and I feel that the forum is right on with focusing on these issues but I often struggle with serious questions surrounding foreign aid and assistance coming from the West: how can we truly empower young girls and women if the solutions are derived outside of the country and outside of the context?

Of course there are critical impacts we can make from the West in terms of our top-down aid and supportive policy, but I would like to see increased support of more homegrown, or bottom-up responses that encourage girls to come up with their own solutions to the problems that directly impact their lives - they are our greatest resource for information and implementation.

Poverty, illness and women's role in both, are entirely cyclical and trying to combat the cycle at only one juncture is simply illogical. We need a multifaceted approach that is solidly based in evidence and has clear pathways for evaluation and accountability.

Swaziland "Love Test"

Population Services International (PSI) has started a new HIV testing program called “love testing,” where couples from Swaziland receive HIV testing together, as a couple. Joining forces with UNICEF and UNAIDS, this program has received $3,000,000 from PEPFAR (The US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) to act in Swaziland, where the rate of HIV/AIDS is over 26% of the population. PSI spokesman Dominic McNeill explains that the logic behind the campaign is that that HIV testing is wasted if only one member of a sexually active couple is tested. As they say, it takes two to tango, and if one person has been tested for HIV, and the other hasn’t, the tested individual is not free from contracting HIV from their partner. It is important to have all sexually active members tested in order to prevent further spreading of the disease.

By calling it “love testing,” the campaign has had an incredibly effective turn out so far, as PSI has “seen a 25 percent increase in couple testing and a 400 percent in general testing year-on-year" (CNN) However, PSI also explains that men prove more resistant to testing, as a way of protecting their masculinity. PSI has told CNN that they must go to places male presence is prevalent, such as farms, churches, and even prisons. Such voluntary testing is certainly a great step in the right direction towards HIV/AIDS treatment, but of course we all know that the focus needs to be turned to prevention through…bum bum bum…family planning and contraceptives!


If you would like to see PSI's official Love Test Video, click here.