Gender inequality and domestic violence: implications for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention.

Dan K. Kaye
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Makerere University, Faculty of Medicine.

ABSTRACT
Domestic violence and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are problems of great public health worldwide, especially
sub-Saharan Africa and much of the developing countries. This is due to their far reaching social, economic and public health
consequences. The two problems have gender inequality and gender power imbalances as the driving force behind the “epidemics”.
HIV infection is mainly acquired through heterosexual relations, which themselves are greatly influenced by socio-cultural factors,
underlying which are gender power imbalances. Unfortunately gender relations, and gender issues in general, have not been given
much emphasis in the medical perspective, especially in efforts for prevention and control of HIV infection. There is thus a need
to mainstream gender relations in reproductive health. This article aims at emphasizing the intersection between domestic
violence, gender inequality and HIV infection.
African Health Sciences 2004; 4(1) 67-70