Title: The links between gender violence and HIV / AIDS.

POPLINE Document Number: 274105

Author(s):

Pendry B

Source citation:

Agenda, 1998;(39):[5] p..

Abstract:

South Africa has the fastest growing rate of HIV transmission of anywhere in the world, and most of the people infected are women. Until August 12, 1998, there was no visible nor active link made between these two very disturbing facts: not only are women prone to be the victims of gender violence, there is also a very high risk of women being infected with HIV. On August 12, 1998, however, a groundbreaking forum was organised by the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre to End Violence Against Women and the Aids Law Project, two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) based in Johannesburg. Held at the office of the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE), the forum was attended by representatives from over 30 organisations, including the South African NGO Coalition (SANGOCO), the Rape Crisis Centre and the National Youth Commission. Presentations were made by Dr Helen Rees, Chairperson of the Medicines Control Council, Dr Des Martin of the National Institute of Virology, Liesl Gernholtz of the CGE and Bronwyn Pithey of the Rape Crisis Centre in Cape Town. Personal testimony was also provided by a woman who told of her experience of contracting AIDs through rape. The decision to host the seminar grew out of the recognition that despite numerous national guidelines on rape and domestic abuse written by the Departments of Correctional Services, Justice, Health and the South African Police Services, none of these dealt with HIV/AIDS or the inter-relationship between violence against women and the risk of HIV transmission. In view of this, Tshwaranang and the AIDS Law Project decided that the inter-relationship between HIV and violence against women needed to be explored and that other NGOs needed to be informed about this. (excerpt)

Keywords:

South Africa
Women
Rape
Domestic Violence
Sex Behavior
Inequalities
HIV
AIDS
HIV Transmission
Africa, Southern
Africa South of the Sahara
Africa
Developing Countries
Demographic Factors
Population
Crime
Social Problems
Behavior
Socioeconomic Factors
Economic Factors
HIV Infections
Viral Diseases
Diseases