AFRICA: HIV/AIDS and partner violence

Johannesburg, 8 March 2002 (PlusNews) - Susan Teffo was burnt over a primus stove by her husband when she disclosed her HIV-positive status. When her four-year-old son tried to stop his father, he was burnt as well.

Although charges of attempted murder have been laid against Susan's husband, she does not intend leaving him. Doing so would deprive her of the drugs she has access to through her husband's medical aid.

A fear of violence discourages women who receive HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) from telling partners about their test results, studies have found.

A study by leading South African NGO, the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), related Susan's story after investigating the link between HIV/AIDS and violence against women in the country. "There is quite a lot of anecdotal evidence we found in the media about women who experienced a range of abuses after disclosing their positive status," CSVR researcher Kailash Bhana, told PlusNews.

The study interviewed representatives from 52 HIV/AIDS and gender organisations, and found that because women were afraid to disclose their status, they often did not seek medical treatment.

"Among the HIV-positive clients we've seen, this is definitely an issue. Even though many women are going for testing, they still keep it a secret from their partners because they are too scared of the reaction," Kelly Hatfield, director of NGO, People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA), told PlusNews.

In a Tanzanian study, partner violence was identified as a serious problem among many female VCT clients, as more than a fourth of the 245 women interviewed agreed with the statement "violence is a major problem in my life". Male and female participants described violence as a way to "correct" or "educate" women and said that violence that did not leave a physical mark on a woman was justifiable.

Many women lacked the autonomy to make decisions about HIV testing, the study said. Male and female participants frequently referred to the need for women to seek permission from partners prior to testing, while men generally made the decision to test on their own without seeking consent.

According to the study, disclosure to partners by HIV-positive women had increased over time, but remained significantly less than for HIV-negative women. Overall the major reason for non-disclosure among all women, regardless of HIV status, was fear of the partner's reaction - principally fear of abuse or abandonment, the study noted.

A surprising finding was that only a small proportion of women who disclosed their results to partners reported a negative reaction. Most women said that their partners showed support and understanding when told the results. "However, a significantly greater proportion of HIV-negative than HIV-positive women reported this positive reaction," the study said.

The study showed that while there was a considerable fear of a partner's reaction - likely due to the overall prevalence of violence in the lives of women - "there is little evidence from either the HIV-positive women or HIV-negative women surveyed that serostatus disclosure frequently leads to physical violence".

The new study - conducted by Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences and the Horizons Project - explored the link between HIV infection, status disclosure and partner violence among women attending a VCT clinic in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

VCT counselors should be trained to ask questions about partner violence and to develop safe disclosure plans for clients, the study suggested.

"Governments need to enforce international conventions and national laws designed to protect women from violence, the study added."

For a full report on the Horizons study: http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/horizons/vctviolence.pdf

Theme (s): Gender Issues,

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]