Explorations in the Cultural History of AIDS
Crown Abiola
Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology
Despite international, national and local efforts the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues largely unabated more so in Africa. The proportion is highest in sub—Africa which has three quarters of all women infected with HIV in the world. 57% of adults with HIV in this region are women. Among people aged between 15 and 24 years in this region, there are on average, 36 HIV positive women for every 10 affected men.
One of the reasons why past and present strategies for prevention and care of HIV/AIDS in sub-Sahara Africa have met with little success seem to lie in the fact that the design of most projects for the prevention of HIV/AIDS so far has not paid due regard to the cultural characteristics of the targeted population especially the family realities, the indigenous knowledge and skills, and the traditional survival mechanisms of the communities in Africa.
In most African traditional societies, clans or kinships transcend an individual person. The philosophical awareness of the existence of an individual is perceived in the existence of the kinship. The kinship system is like an insurance blanket, and the thicker it is the better during rainy days.
Therefore, this paper will address the socio-cultural factors that enhance the spread of HIV/AIDS among women in Sub-Saharan Africa with women in Kenya as a case study.
It reveals that cultural practices such as violence against women, a widow being asked to remarry a junior brother of her deceased husband [who might have died of AIDS], using the same sharp implements [which may be infected] for circumcision, body scarification, tattooing, and hair scrapping, and rape as strong factors.
Certain recommendations are also made.