relation: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/27507/
title: Empowering women against aids (EWA): an analysis of HIV and IPV among young women in South Africa and a program option
creator: Farias, Danielle
description: Background: While the overall Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic in South Africa has slowed due to national and international efforts, the population of young women ages to 15-24 still faces high HIV incidence and prevalence rates. Young women account for 80% of new infections in young people making this issue a national crisis that needs to be addressed. HIV treatment and sexual education have been made widely available and are political and public health priorities for the country. Most young women are infected due to heterosexual contact and controlling HIV infection in young women remains a challenge due to intimate partner violence (IPV) a specific type of gender-based violence and a byproduct of gender inequality and cultural gender norms. In order to address the epidemic levels of HIV in young women, effective programs must be developed that do not view IPV and HIV in isolation, but instead focus on addressing both public health issues concurrently. Objective: This essay aims to provide an analysis of the IPV and HIV connection in young women ages 15-24 living in South African and propose a program to address both of these issues through an intervention that combines a support group and microfinance lending models to increase social support for survivors of IPV, address HIV prevention and care and increase financial independence. Conclusion: While there is an abundance of literature on the intersection of IPV and HIV in South Africa, no previous interventions have demonstrated success in both reducing women’s experience of IPV and incidence of HIV, nor has a support group model been tested. This essay summarizes important themes from the IPV/HIV literature and outlines a program to support young women and reduce risk for HIV and IPV. Public Health Relevance: The rapid rate of HIV incidence in young women remains a major barrier to controlling the national HIV epidemic in South Africa. Addressing young women’s HIV risk however cannot be done unless the country is able to increase young women’s ability for safe sexual relationships and gender equity domestically, financially and socially. Ultimately, addressing gender violence and intimate partner violence in South Africa will reduce HIV and increase the health and quality of life for young women and the families and communities that they support.
publisher: University of Pittsburgh
date: 2016-04-05
type: Other Thesis, Dissertation, or Long Paper
type: PeerReviewed
format: application/msword
language: en
rights: attached
identifier: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/27507/1/Farias_D_MPHessay_4_2016.docx
format: text/plain
language: en
rights: attached
identifier: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/27507/3/licence.txt
identifier:   Farias, Danielle  (2016) Empowering women against aids (EWA): an analysis of HIV and IPV among young women in South Africa and a program option.  Master Essay, University of Pittsburgh.