Between a Rock and a Hard Place: How poverty and lack of agency affect HIV risk behaviors among married women in 25 African countries: A cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Gender inequality and poverty exacerbate the burden of HIV/AIDS among women in Africa. AIDS awareness and educational campaigns have been inadequate in many countries and rates of HIV testing and adherence to condom use remains considerably low, especially among married women. We investigate whether higher HIV knowledge is equally effective in lowering risky behaviors among groups of women with different levels of wealth and agency.

Methods

Pooled data on 113 151 adult married women from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in 25 African countries was used (2010 to 2016). Agency was defined as women's ability to refuse sex and ask her partner to use a condom, plus have a role in decision making in household spending and health-related issues. The lowest tertile of

SUBMITTER: Sherafat-Kazemzadeh R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8564885 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature