Women and AIDS in Zimbabwe: the making of an epidemic
Bassett, M.T.; Mhloyi, M.
International Journal of Health Services Planning Administration Evaluation 21(1): 143-156
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0020-7314 PMID: 2004868 DOI: 10.2190/n0nj-fkxb-ct25-pa09Document Number: 327382
This analytical essay represents a fruitful collaboration between a clinician/epidemiologist and a social scientist who apply their biomedical and societal observations to study of the AIDS epidemic. The paper is intended to prompt researchers, social commentators, and health education specialists to broaden their views of the causes of the AIDS epidemic in the hope of enhancing prevention efforts. The authors write, "the pattern of sexual relations, which places many people at risk for HIV infection, is not due to some 'natural proclivity' of African men or to some inherent feature of 'human nature' but is social in origin, and so can be changed". The authors maintain that the expropriation of land by colonialists resulted in large-scale migration of men to cities and new patterns of sexual relations characterized by multiple partnerships. These new social and financial arrangements facilitated the rapid dissemination of HIV, and must be considered in AIDS prevention campaigns.Amy R. Sheon.