Men reluctant to test for HIV

The ministry of health has expressed concern at the low number of adult males who go for HIV testing, saying they are to blame for slowing down the fight against the scourge.

According to statistics presented by health permanent secretary Andreas Mwoombola at the Gender Advisory Committee high-level dialogue held in Windhoek this week, a total of 8 084 women and 3 530 men aged between 15 and 24 years were on antiretroviral treatment (ART) by June this year.

He added that 24 216 women aged between 25 and 34 years were on ART while only 6 188 men of the same age group received ART.

By June, 37 575 women aged between 33 and 55 were placed on ART while only 17 487 men in this age group received the treatment.

At the same time 7 621 women aged between 55 and 64 were on the treatment, compared to only 5 074 men.

For the age group 65 and older, 2 620 women and 2 535 men were on ART.

Gender activist Sarry Xoagus-Eises said these numbers were not necessarily a true reflection of Namibia's situation.

According to her many people, because of stigma, choose to buy the HIV home-test kits and keep their status to themselves.

The fact remains that more women know their status and are being treated than men.

“But it is true that women are leading in terms of numbers because they are the ones that go for antenatal screening when they fall pregnant.

“And one of the reasons we do not see so many men reflected in these numbers is because women are living in fear. Imagine a woman coming home and telling her husband she tested positive for HIV? She will be blamed for bringing Aids into their house,” she said.

Xoagus-Eises added that cultural norms made it taboo for women to ask their husbands to go for HIV testing, or for any medical check-up for that matter.

“Some can even be divorced for 'defying' their husbands and it can also cause violence between husbands or boyfriends,” she said.

Former sex worker and director of Rights not Rescue, Nikodemus Aoxamub, popularly known as Mama Africa, said some men refuse to go for testing by claiming that they are not sleeping around.

“They are in denial and want to put the burden on women to test and deal with the outcome,” he said.

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Nangof Board of Directors, Sandy Tjaronda, said the numbers could to a certain extent reflect that the demand for health services is generally very low when it comes to men.

He added that it is worrying that women do not insist that their partners accompany them to go for HIV testing.

“But then again one must keep in mind the nature of the man's job may also be a challenge. It could be that the husband is the breadwinner and a mineworker or a truck driver, and is not available the time when his pregnant wife goes for an antenatal testing,” said Tjaronda.



Stigma

A new UNAIDS report states that irrational fears of HIV infection and negative attitudes and judgements towards people living with HIV persist despite decades of public information campaigns.

The report, 'Confronting Discrimination: Overcoming HIV-related Stigma and Discrimination in Healthcare Settings and Beyond' was launched in Geneva, Switzerland by the executive director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, during the Human Rights Council Social Forum this week.

It states that stigma and discrimination discourage people from accessing healthcare services, including HIV prevention methods, learning their HIV status, enrolling in care and adhering to treatment.

The report also stated that surveys from healthcare workers indicate that the fears of people living with HIV and people who suspect they may be living with HIV are often well-founded since there is often an unwillingness of health workers to care for patients living with HIV.