Given that HIV is so prevalent in Africa, why do people not use condoms to protect themselves?
The main obstacle is lack of information. Many people in developing countries are still not getting all the information they need about HIV and how they can avoid infection. Furthermore, not everyone in poorer countries can afford condoms and they are not always easily available for free. There are also cultural and religious reasons why people may not wish to use them. Millions of women and girls do not have the option to say no to unprotected sex – gender inequalities and poverty can mean women have little choice about how and when they have sex, and even within marriage many women are often not in a position to insist that their partners remain faithful or always use condoms.
Are there other ways for women to protect themselves?
In recent years, as the impact of AIDS on women has become evident, there have been moves to develop HIV prevention tools which address women’s needs. One such method is the female condom, which enables women to protect themselves without having to rely on their partner.
Currently under development is the microbicide - a cream or gel which could be applied before sex and would prevent HIV infection, either by deactivating the virus or by preventing it from binding with human cells. A vaginal microbicide could be available in less than five years and would give women a method of protecting themselves which is beyond the control of their partners. If microbicides are widely distributed, they could save millions of women’s lives.
Is the problem cultural? If so, do we have the right to change culture?
ActionAid’s approach is not based on imposing Western solutions, but on working with communities to strengthen their efforts to deal with the problems they face. Community-based organisations understand local needs, problems and cultural practices, and develop local solutions. We help them with resources, technical assistance and information.
What is ActionAid doing to curb the spread of HIV in poor countries?
One example of ActionAid’s work in the field on HIV and AIDS is Stepping Stones, a training programme which helps women and men explore their needs, discuss the changes that they want, and find ways of making those changes. Parallel workshops take place for men and women – covering themes such as co-operation and communication, relationships, HIV and safer sex and behaviour change, with groups meeting together periodically to share insights. After the workshops, each group makes a request to the community, identifying the change they see as their top priority. This allows traditional barriers of age and gender to be overcome. Results include safer sexual behaviour, reduction in domestic violence, greater sharing of household tasks by men, and improved communication between couples and between parents and children, especially on sensitive issues relating to HIV and sexual health.
Is there such a thing as an AIDS vaccine?
A vaccine against HIV, the virus which causes AIDS, does not currently exist although research is underway. It is expected that this research will take many years.
What is ActionAid's view on the promotion of sexual abstinence?
ActionAid is opposed to health promotion which focuses only on abstinence from sex or seeks only to promote "faithfulness". We take a rights-based approach to HIV prevention, and believe that people should have all the information and the power to make their own choices about sexual health. Strategies such as abstinence which only give partial information and ignore the realities of people's lives do not work. Instead they deny the rights of women and make women more vulnerable to HIV. Sex education should ensure that young people are empowered to protect themselves from HIV, rather than simply imposing moralistic ideals. We strongly believe that condoms should be promoted as a vital tool in preventing the transmission of HIV.
