A Comprehensive Analysis of HIV/AIDS Impact on Women Globally

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of HIV/AIDS on women globally, examining the complex interplay of socioeconomic, political, and cultural factors. It highlights the disproportionate burden of the disease on women, particularly in developing nations, and discusses the role of poverty, gender inequality, and lack of access to healthcare in exacerbating the problem. The essay explores the political perspectives, including policy and leadership, and the economic consequences, such as decreased income and limited access to medical services. It also presents an integrated perspective, advocating for a multifaceted approach that addresses the underlying causes of the epidemic, including education, skill development, and gender equality. The essay concludes by emphasizing the need for increased preventive efforts and comprehensive healthcare frameworks to combat HIV/AIDS among women, stressing that a unified global approach is crucial to achieving success in this fight.

Running Head: The Impact of HIV on women
The impact of HIV/AIDS on women around the world
Introduction
Across the globe, there is an ever-increasing number of women who are primarily poor and are
dying because of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). According to WHO by
2003, 19.2 million HIV/AIDS infected ladies were living across the world, representing roughly
half of the 40 million grown-ups living with HIV/AIDS (Feseha, 2003). However, various
counteractive action programs for AIDs in women are woefully lost from across the globe.
Several studies have been done to study why there are so many gaps in control measures and
how we can mend those gaps by controlling AIDs in women. It can be observed from the nations
such as Zimbabwe and South Africa, where one is developing, and another one is developed, but
the problem is common (Phiri et al., 2003). The woman has minimal control over their bodies,
and their lives are at most grave danger of AIDS. For instance, the high rate of disease among
ladies in Africa can't be seen separated from the legacy of colonialism and the tricky blend of
customary and European patriarchal qualities. Just by perceiving the economic and social
determinants of both sickness and sexual conduct, and just by fusing these bits of knowledge into
our AIDS aversion projects, through which we will have the capacity to check the spread of this
deadly malady. There are severely complicated aftermath associated with the AIDS in women
and hinders their process of being knowledgeable.
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Running Head: The Impact of HIV on women
The Political Perspective on the impact of HIV on women
Various synergistic approaches of political leadership and science define public health care
improvements. Such synergies have directed significant impact children health in Europe, as
politician take a call in eradicating child labor nuisance. In another example tuberculosis (TB)
which was widespread in population has been shortening to a few by social activities and
improvement of hygiene. Similarly is with AIDS whose effect on a woman is an example of the
multitude of factors like politics, policy, and public health care. The feminization of AIDS has
been happened because of sex and gender bias that think the onus is on girls and they are the
main culprit behind this growing epidemic (amFAR, 2017).
Almost 25 years has occurred since the first case of AIDS was diagnosed, and since then women
have been a soft target for the scientific and political discourse of HIV/AIDS. Talking about the
spread of some diseases like AIDS is considered as taboo because it’s thought to be spread from
sex. Women pose a higher risk of HIV infection due to sexual intercourse than men as a tissue of
vagina is fragile during sex. Second reason is the large surface area of the vagina which can
cause more exposure of body than men. Hence we need to look at women and include them in
the action plan for eradicating HIV. The issue with a woman is large as now more than half
world population, and it’s a leading cause of death among them
Socioeconomic and political shifts have contributed to the current fate of women with HIV and
such situation is grievous among the developing nations. They have several issues with the use of
condoms. It has been regarded that if a woman asks for condom during sex, she is considered to
be unfaithful.
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Running Head: The Impact of HIV on women
The disparity against women has been a reason for gender inequality, human rights violation and
violence against them and such conditions are the main significant factors that women land up
with the infection Therefore the social stigma must be eradicated which could only be done by
educating the communities regarding the prominence of HIV among women
The policies and political will must be developed in the favor women health requirements and
her human rights. Gender equality would shape a newer tomorrow in the life of women. The HIV
intervention must be developed in such a manner that it includes family planning and other
health related issues like reproductive health. So if we want to eradicate this disease, we all have
to stand up against these factors as HIV end could only start with the women upliftment (Gender
Health, 2017).
The Economic Perspective on the impact of HIV on women
Poverty is another important factor that has fueled the AIDs as an epidemic among the women.
The poverty is widespread and is distributed unevenly in developed and developing worlds.
AIDs is neither disease of the developing country nor for the poor people, but it's a principal
factor in the spread of infection among the population especially women (Farmer et al., 1996).
The poverty is caused due to incomplete education and incomplete skill development. Mostly
people who are poor are school dropouts and have not attained any skill for making them
financially stable. The poor people have higher risk and make them more vulnerable to HIV
infection. The following disease makes them more miserable. Such scenario has been observed
in Zambia where they saw 80% decline in income after their bread earners infected with the
Virus. It makes a severe blow to the economic conditions of family, and they sell their
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Running Head: The Impact of HIV on women
productive assets to cater losses which could be a reason for their disappearance from society As
the person is infected with AIDS the efficiency of person drops significantly, and thereby income
falls and as the medical requirement increases the expenses increases. Poor women have lesser
access to the medical services as they lack financial credibility. Woman’s biological
susceptibility towards AIDS virus increases when sexual autonomy of women is compromised
under severe economic conditions. The lack financial resource forces them into survival sex
where condom use is difficult to negotiate (Taraphdar et al., 2011).
Even the women who are economically dependent on men could face abandonment and abuses if
they ask for safe sex. Tearing and bleeding during the sexual activity multiplies the HIV risk, and
even worst is that women won’t even recognize HIV symptoms as they look similar to physical
violence such as abdominal pain and cramps. Women have significantly low survival as
compared to men. Economically unstable women also have limited availability to fill their
stomach which weakens their immune system and together with cause a big issue in getting
infected with HIV.
The growth of this epidemic is also contagious for the economic development of the country as
more and more infrastructure, and money is needed for the rehabilitation of disease. The
government should build the policy to educate the women and make them skilled, so they never
land up into flesh selling the business. The situation will improve if the government becomes an
intermediate in delivering the needs of these women and employing them in jobs for nation’s
interest.
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Running Head: The Impact of HIV on women
An Integrated Perspective on the impact of HIV on women
Therefore, there is a need to develop a conceptual framework to counter the impact of economic
and political impacts of HIV on women. The model must encompass with social, economic,
cultural, policy and environmental factors to deal with the vulnerability associated with the ladies
in contracting HIV. The approach must be beyond the outlook of just infection but rather cater to
the contributing factors of disease and behavior impacting the development of epidemic
addressing the cause of the problem. It should be developed in such a manner that it doesn’t see
HIV/AIDS as a standalone issue but rather a disease arisen due to the complex issue of poverty,
gender inequalities, cultural determinants, hygiene, religious beliefs, and environmental factors.
The various steps that can be taken by government in this regard are following (Banks and
Banks, 2009; Pinn, 2003):
• The healthcare framework must be developed in such a manner that it contribute to poor as
well as riches such as Obama care.
• The sexual education must be provided to all sect of population and notion of safe sex, and its
benefits must be cleared to them
• Gender bias must be eradicated by pushing for harsh punishment for those who discriminate
women and men
• Professional skill development must be introduced for the women empowerment, so they are
not dependent on male
• Promotion of antiretroviral therapy improves the CD4+ count that enhances the situation with
HIV patients
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Running Head: The Impact of HIV on women
• Promote HIV patients to drop social stigma and start becoming independent so there is no
loss of skill
In the concluding remarks, we could say that nothing is impossible when human get united to
fight with it. It has been seen with the plague in Europe and other disease like small pox chicken
pox etc. Therefore there is a need to enhance preventive efforts for the abatement of AIDS
among women. The research shows that women show slower signs of success in case of AIDS
then in men. It is due to the reason that women undergoes testing at later phase where chances of
survival are limited. Hence there is a need to address the issue of fear, political hindrance and
economic slowdown to achieve success (Pollard, 2008).
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Running Head: The Impact of HIV on women
References
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Farmer, P., Connors, M., & Simmons, J. (Eds.). (1996). Women, poverty, and AIDS: Sex, drugs,
and structural violence (p. 473). Monroe: Common Courage Press.
Feseha, W. M. (2003). Educational challenges of aids orphaned children and possible solutions
in Addis Ababa (Doctoral dissertation, AAU).
Phiri, I. A., Haddad, B., & Masenya, M. J. (Eds.). (2003). African Women, HIV/AIDS, and Faith
Communities. Cluster Publications.
Pinn, V. W. (2003). Sex and gender factors in medical studies: implications for health and
clinical practice. Jama, 289(4), 397-400.
Pollard, T. M. (2008). Western diseases: an evolutionary perspective (Vol. 54). Cambridge
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Taraphdar, P., Guha, R. T., Haldar, D., Chatterjee, A., Dasgupta, A., Saha, B., & Mallik, S.
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