In Women
Why do I experience pain during intercourse?
Sex should never be painful. If you are having pain during sex, stop. Sex is supposed to be pleasurable, and pain indicates that something is wrong.
In many cases, your partner's actions can cause pain, such as going too fast or penetrating from an awkward position. Never hesitate to ask your partner to slow down or move to make you more comfortable.
Another common cause of pain during sex is the lack of natural lubrication in the vagina. Antihistamines or other medication may be the cause of this problem. Additionally, natural changes in the vagina during menopause may cause a reduction in natural lubrication. Or, in some cases, more foreplay may be required to produce a sufficient amount of vaginal lubrication. Adding a water-based lubricant to the proceedings may help alleviate this problem. We recommend Astroglide. It's a wonderful lubricant with a consistency that most couples truly enjoy.
Failure of the vagina and uterus to respond to sexual arousal can also cause discomfort. The vagina may be too snug for intercourse or the uterus may not be raised so that the penis comes in contact with the cervix during penetration. Use manual penetration to explore the level of arousal before engaging in intercourse.
The muscles near the vaginal opening may also be the cause of some discomfort during intercourse. Various problems can occur depending on the state of these muscles. Vaginismus is a condition in which these muscles are extremely tight and causes intercourse to be painful. One way to determine whether vaginismus is a problem, is for the woman to examine herself with her fingers. If she feels that the vaginal walls are tighter than normal, then it may be vaginismus. Vaginismus is not a permanent condition. It is usually caused by nervousness or anxiety. Make sure that you engage in foreplay before intercourse. This will help you produce a healthy amount of lubrication, and should help you to relax. Try to reduce the pressure to perform. Fortunately, few women have vaginismus so severely that they have to go for treatment. For most women, it is just important to relax.
Any inflammation of the vagina has the potential to cause problems during sexual intercourse. Infections of the vaginal region due to yeast, herpes, etc. can make intercourse uncomfortable. Creams, fabric or perfumes may also cause irritation which makes intercourse painful. It is best to examine the vaginal area or the products that are being used to determine whether they are causing this problem.
Difficulty with intercourse may also be experienced by women for whom it is the first time having sex. Breakage of the hymen and other sensitive tissue can cause discomfort during penetration. The best advice is to take it slow, or begin with forms of penetration other than intercourse.
Some psychological factors may contribute to dyspareunia as well. Those who have been through a sexually traumatic experience or have feelings of guilt associated with sex may find intercourse to be painful. These issues are best resolved by consulting a trained Sex Therapist.
In Men
What can cause painful intercourse in men?
Discomfort during intercourse for men can be attributed to a number of causes. One cause could be a result of snugly fitting foreskin. Occasionally during a man's first attempt at intercourse, tight foreskin will cause retraction to be painful. After a while, the foreskin loosens, and intercourse is more comfortable. Secondly, any lesion on the skin of the penis can make intercourse painful. These lesions may be due to unlubricated masturbation, rapid intercourse or STDs. The blisters caused by herpes can also make intercourse extremely painful. Finally, conditions like Peyronie's disease which cause a bending of the penis may also make intercourse painful. If you can not determine why intercourse is painful then please consult your physician.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
LIVING WELL
Exercise is activity that you do on a regular basis (every day, or several times a week) for the purpose of improving your health.
We all know that it is important to take care of ourselves. When we eat right, get good rest and exercise, we feel better! It’s easy to know this, but harder to live by it when you are HIV+. HIV drugs can have debilitating side effects, or simply make you tired. When we are sick, it’s often even harder to take good care of ourselves than when we are well. Our families need us, our jobs need us – and we have a habit of putting ourselves last. Learn to put yourself at the front of the line. If not first, at least nearly first! You’ll feel better and you’ll have more to give everyone else.
We all know that it is important to take care of ourselves. When we eat right, get good rest and exercise, we feel better! It’s easy to know this, but harder to live by it when you are HIV+. HIV drugs can have debilitating side effects, or simply make you tired. When we are sick, it’s often even harder to take good care of ourselves than when we are well. Our families need us, our jobs need us – and we have a habit of putting ourselves last. Learn to put yourself at the front of the line. If not first, at least nearly first! You’ll feel better and you’ll have more to give everyone else.
Friday, September 18, 2009
HIV/AIDS CAUSE DEBILITATING ILLNESS
Over the past 25 years, nearly 25 million people have died from AIDS.1 HIV/AIDS causes debilitating illness and premature death in people during their prime years of life and has devastated families and communities. Further, HIV/AIDS has complicated efforts to fight poverty, improve health, and promote development by:2
Diminishing a person’s ability to support, work and provide for his or her family. At the same time, treatment and health-care costs related to HIV/AIDS consume household incomes. The combined effect of reduced income and increased costs impoverishes individuals and households.
Deepening socioeconomic and gender disparities. Women are at high risk of infection and have few options for providing for their families. Children affected by HIV/AIDS, due to their own infection or parental illness or death, are less likely to receive an education, as they leave school to care for ailing parents and younger siblings.
Straining the resources of communities – hospitals, social services, schools and businesses. Health care workers, teachers, and business and government leaders have been lost to HIV/AIDS. The impact of diminished productivity is felt on a national scale.
Through unprecedented global attention and intervention efforts, the rate of new HIV infections has slowed and prevalence rates have leveled off globally and in many regions. Despite the progress seen in some countries and regions, the total number of people living with HIV continues to rise.
In 2007, globally, about 2 million people died of AIDS, 33 million were living with HIV and 2.5 million people were newly infected with the virus.1
HIV infections and AIDS deaths are unevenly distributed geographically and the nature of the epidemics vary by region. Epidemics are abating in some countries and burgeoning in others. More than 90 percent of people with HIV are living in the developing world.3
There is growing recognition that the virus does not discriminate by age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status – everyone is susceptible. However, certain groups are at particular risk of HIV, including men who have sex with men (MSM), injecting drug users (IDUs), and commercial sex workers (CSWs).
The impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls has been particularly devastating. Women and girls now comprise 50 percent of those aged 15 and older living with HIV.1
The impact of HIV/AIDS on children and young people is a severe and growing problem. In 2007, 420,000 children under age 15 were infected with HIV and 290,000 died of AIDS.1, 4 In addition to the estimated 2.1 million children living with HIV/AIDS, about 15 million children have lost one or both parents due to the disease.1, 4
There are effective prevention and treatment interventions, as well as research efforts to develop new approaches, medications and vaccines.
The sixth Millennium Development Goal (MDG) focuses on stopping and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015.
Global funding is increasing, but global need is growing even faster – widening the funding gap. Services and funding are disproportionately available in developed countries.
Diminishing a person’s ability to support, work and provide for his or her family. At the same time, treatment and health-care costs related to HIV/AIDS consume household incomes. The combined effect of reduced income and increased costs impoverishes individuals and households.
Deepening socioeconomic and gender disparities. Women are at high risk of infection and have few options for providing for their families. Children affected by HIV/AIDS, due to their own infection or parental illness or death, are less likely to receive an education, as they leave school to care for ailing parents and younger siblings.
Straining the resources of communities – hospitals, social services, schools and businesses. Health care workers, teachers, and business and government leaders have been lost to HIV/AIDS. The impact of diminished productivity is felt on a national scale.
Through unprecedented global attention and intervention efforts, the rate of new HIV infections has slowed and prevalence rates have leveled off globally and in many regions. Despite the progress seen in some countries and regions, the total number of people living with HIV continues to rise.
In 2007, globally, about 2 million people died of AIDS, 33 million were living with HIV and 2.5 million people were newly infected with the virus.1
HIV infections and AIDS deaths are unevenly distributed geographically and the nature of the epidemics vary by region. Epidemics are abating in some countries and burgeoning in others. More than 90 percent of people with HIV are living in the developing world.3
There is growing recognition that the virus does not discriminate by age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status – everyone is susceptible. However, certain groups are at particular risk of HIV, including men who have sex with men (MSM), injecting drug users (IDUs), and commercial sex workers (CSWs).
The impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls has been particularly devastating. Women and girls now comprise 50 percent of those aged 15 and older living with HIV.1
The impact of HIV/AIDS on children and young people is a severe and growing problem. In 2007, 420,000 children under age 15 were infected with HIV and 290,000 died of AIDS.1, 4 In addition to the estimated 2.1 million children living with HIV/AIDS, about 15 million children have lost one or both parents due to the disease.1, 4
There are effective prevention and treatment interventions, as well as research efforts to develop new approaches, medications and vaccines.
The sixth Millennium Development Goal (MDG) focuses on stopping and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015.
Global funding is increasing, but global need is growing even faster – widening the funding gap. Services and funding are disproportionately available in developed countries.
Friday, September 11, 2009
HAVING 12 CHILDREN
Having 12 children and a very old mother to support, Vincent, middle-aged Ugandan single father living with HIV, knows that his death would spell disaster for the whole family. “If I had died, where would these people go?” said VincentN perched on a stool with his legs outstretched
Fortunately, Vincent has survived. He said it is DART that has saved his life. DART, the Development of Antiretroviral therapy in Africa, is the largest HIV treatment trial ever carried out on the world’s second most-populous continent.
The DART trial has recently reached a remarkable finding in HIV treatment: that taking HIV treatment does not have to be accompanied by regular laboratory tests, at least for the first two years.
James Hakim, professor of the University of Zimbabwe Medical School and co-principal investigator of DART, said the health economists in the DART team who have analyzed the trial data have concluded that a third more people could be successfully treated for HIV in Africa if expensive lab tests weren’t used routinely. “The challenge now is for policy-makers to widen availability of ART,” said the professor.
Before, it was believed that a person on HIV treatment should have regular tests, including CD 4 cell counts, a measure of how well the body’s immune system, which is damaged by HIV, is working.
The DART results show that 87% of people receiving HIV treatment without routine blood test monitoring were still alive and well after five years, only 3 percentage points less than in the group that had routine blood test monitoring. This finding suggests that many more people living with HIV in Africa could receive treatment for the same amount of money that is currently spent on routine lab tests used to monitor the effects of antiretroviral therapy.
It could also lead to antiretroviral therapy being delivered safely and effectively by trained and supervised health workers in remote communities where routine laboratory tests are not available due to high costs or poor resources.
Professor Peter Mugyenyi of the Joint Clinical Research Centre in Uganda, also a DART co-principal investigator, agreed that governments now have evidence that expensive blood tests aren’t needed routinely for HIV treatment to be successful and safe. “It also means that treatment could be delivered locally as long as health care workers have the right training, support and supervision,” said Peter, “This could make a huge difference to people who live in remote areas that are many days walk from the nearest hospital or laboratory.”
According to UNAIDS estimates HIV treatment only reached a third of the 9.7 million people in need at the end of 2007. In Africa alone, around 4 million people urgently need antiretroviral therapy but the resources are limited.
The DART Story
Aiming at finding a safe, simple and more economical way of carrying out HIV treatment, the DART trial began six years ago when treatment for people living with HIV was just starting to become more widely available in Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Vincent was one of the 3,316 DART participants that had severe or advanced HIV infection while not having previously had any antiretroviral therapy. He is also one of the main characters of The DART Story, a newly launched documentary film narrated by Annie Katuregye. The narrator herself, whose husband died of AIDS-related illnesses seventeen years ago at the age of 34, joined the DART trial in Uganda in 2003.
Fortunately, Vincent has survived. He said it is DART that has saved his life. DART, the Development of Antiretroviral therapy in Africa, is the largest HIV treatment trial ever carried out on the world’s second most-populous continent.
The DART trial has recently reached a remarkable finding in HIV treatment: that taking HIV treatment does not have to be accompanied by regular laboratory tests, at least for the first two years.
James Hakim, professor of the University of Zimbabwe Medical School and co-principal investigator of DART, said the health economists in the DART team who have analyzed the trial data have concluded that a third more people could be successfully treated for HIV in Africa if expensive lab tests weren’t used routinely. “The challenge now is for policy-makers to widen availability of ART,” said the professor.
Before, it was believed that a person on HIV treatment should have regular tests, including CD 4 cell counts, a measure of how well the body’s immune system, which is damaged by HIV, is working.
The DART results show that 87% of people receiving HIV treatment without routine blood test monitoring were still alive and well after five years, only 3 percentage points less than in the group that had routine blood test monitoring. This finding suggests that many more people living with HIV in Africa could receive treatment for the same amount of money that is currently spent on routine lab tests used to monitor the effects of antiretroviral therapy.
It could also lead to antiretroviral therapy being delivered safely and effectively by trained and supervised health workers in remote communities where routine laboratory tests are not available due to high costs or poor resources.
Professor Peter Mugyenyi of the Joint Clinical Research Centre in Uganda, also a DART co-principal investigator, agreed that governments now have evidence that expensive blood tests aren’t needed routinely for HIV treatment to be successful and safe. “It also means that treatment could be delivered locally as long as health care workers have the right training, support and supervision,” said Peter, “This could make a huge difference to people who live in remote areas that are many days walk from the nearest hospital or laboratory.”
According to UNAIDS estimates HIV treatment only reached a third of the 9.7 million people in need at the end of 2007. In Africa alone, around 4 million people urgently need antiretroviral therapy but the resources are limited.
The DART Story
Aiming at finding a safe, simple and more economical way of carrying out HIV treatment, the DART trial began six years ago when treatment for people living with HIV was just starting to become more widely available in Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Vincent was one of the 3,316 DART participants that had severe or advanced HIV infection while not having previously had any antiretroviral therapy. He is also one of the main characters of The DART Story, a newly launched documentary film narrated by Annie Katuregye. The narrator herself, whose husband died of AIDS-related illnesses seventeen years ago at the age of 34, joined the DART trial in Uganda in 2003.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
HIV/AIDS
The HIV/AIDS epidemic in African American communities is a continuing public health crisis for the United States. At the end of 2006 there were an estimated 1.1 million people living with HIV infection, of which almost half (46%) were black/African American [1]. While blacks represent approximately 12 percent of the U.S. population, they continue to account for a higher proportion of cases at all stages of HIV/AIDS—from infection with HIV to death with AIDS—compared with members of other races and ethnicities [2, 3].
The Numbers
HIV/AIDS in 2007
Blacks accounted for 51% of the 42, 655 (including children) new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in 34 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting [3].
Blacks accounted for 48% of the 551,932 persons* (including children) living with HIV/AIDS in 34 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting [3].
For black women living with HIV/AIDS, the most common methods of transmission were high-risk heterosexual contact** and injection drug use [3].
For black men living with HIV/AIDS, the most common methods of HIV transmission were (in order) [3]:
sexual contact with other men
injection drug use
high-risk heterosexual contact**.
Race/ethnicity of persons (including children) with HIV/AIDS diagnosed during 2007
Note. Based on data from 34 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting.
AIDS in 2007
Blacks accounted for 49% of the estimated 35,962 AIDS cases diagnosed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia [3].
In 2007, the rates of AIDS diagnoses decreased among blacks but were still higher than the rates of any other race/ethnicity. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black adults/adolescents were 10 times the rate for whites and nearly 3 times the rate for Hispanics. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black women was 22 times the rate for white women. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black men was almost 8 times the rate for white men [3].
Blacks accounted for 44% of the 455,636* people living with AIDS in the 50 states and District of Columbia [3].
By the end of 2007, 40% of the 562,793* persons with AIDS who died were black [3].
The Numbers
HIV/AIDS in 2007
Blacks accounted for 51% of the 42, 655 (including children) new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in 34 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting [3].
Blacks accounted for 48% of the 551,932 persons* (including children) living with HIV/AIDS in 34 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting [3].
For black women living with HIV/AIDS, the most common methods of transmission were high-risk heterosexual contact** and injection drug use [3].
For black men living with HIV/AIDS, the most common methods of HIV transmission were (in order) [3]:
sexual contact with other men
injection drug use
high-risk heterosexual contact**.
Race/ethnicity of persons (including children) with HIV/AIDS diagnosed during 2007
Note. Based on data from 34 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting.
AIDS in 2007
Blacks accounted for 49% of the estimated 35,962 AIDS cases diagnosed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia [3].
In 2007, the rates of AIDS diagnoses decreased among blacks but were still higher than the rates of any other race/ethnicity. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black adults/adolescents were 10 times the rate for whites and nearly 3 times the rate for Hispanics. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black women was 22 times the rate for white women. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black men was almost 8 times the rate for white men [3].
Blacks accounted for 44% of the 455,636* people living with AIDS in the 50 states and District of Columbia [3].
By the end of 2007, 40% of the 562,793* persons with AIDS who died were black [3].
Monday, August 31, 2009
How is HIV transmitted in Nigeria?
How is HIV transmitted in Nigeria?
Some 80% of HIV infections in Nigeria are transmitted through heterosexual sex. Factors contributing to this include a lack of information about sexual health and HIV, low levels of condom use and high levels of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea, which make it easier for the virus to be transmitted.
It has been reported that blood transfusions account for up to 10 percent of new HIV infections in Nigeria11. There is a high demand for blood because of blood loss from surgery and childbirth, road-traffic accidents and anaemia and malaria. Not all Nigerian hospitals have the technology to effectively screen blood and therefore contaminated blood is often used. The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health have responded by backing legislation that requires hospitals to only use blood from the National Blood Transfusion Service, which has far more advanced blood-screening technology12.
The other main transmission route is mother-to-child transmission. In 2005 it was estimated that 220,000 children were living with HIV, most of whom became infected from their mothers13.
Factors contributing to the spread of HIV in Nigeria
Lack of sexual health information and education
Sex is traditionally a very private subject in Nigeria and the discussion of sex with teenagers is often seen as inappropriate. Up until recently there was little or no sexual health education for young people and this has been a major barrier to reducing rates of HIV and other STDs. UNAIDS estimate that only 18 percent of women and 21 percent of men between the ages of 15 and 24 correctly identify ways to prevent HIV14. Lack of accurate information about sexual health has meant there are many myths and misconceptions about sex and HIV, contributing to increasing transmission rates as well as stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV/AIDS.
HIV testing
Doctors seeing patients in an HIV clinic in Nigeria
Another contributing factor to the spread of HIV in Nigeria is the distinct lack of voluntary and routine HIV testing. In a 2003 survey, just 6 percent of women and 14 percent of men had ever been tested for HIV and received the results15. In 2005, only around 1 percent of pregnant women were being tested for HIV16.
In 2006 president Obasanjo publicly received an HIV test and counselling on World AIDS Day in order to promote the services and information available to people in Nigeria. He stated on the day, “A great majority of Nigerians have now come to accept the reality of AIDS”17. However, the statistics show that the Nigerian government desperately need to scale up HIV testing rates in order to bring the epidemic under control.
Cultural practices
Women are particularly affected by the epidemic in Nigeria. In 2006 UNAIDS estimated that women accounted for 61.5 percent of all adults aged 15 and above living with HIV18.
Traditionally, women in Nigeria marry young, although the average age at which they marry varies between states. A 2007 study revealed that 54 percent of girls from the North West aged between 15-24 were married by age 15, and 81 percent were married by age 1819. The study showed that the younger married girls lacked knowledge on reproductive health, which included HIV/AIDS. They also tend to lack the power and education needed to insist upon the use of a condom during sex. Coupled with the high probability that the husband will be significantly older than the girl and therefore is more likely to have had more sexual partners in the past, young women are more vulnerable to HIV infection within marriage.
AVERT.org has more about women and AIDS.
Poor healthcare system
Over the last two decades, Nigeria's healthcare system has deteriorated as a result of political instability, corruption and a mismanaged economy. Large parts of the country lack even basic healthcare provision, making it difficult to establish HIV testing and prevention services such as those for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission. Sexual health clinics providing contraception, testing and treatment for other STDs are also few and far between20. This makes it particularly difficult to keep the spread of the epidemic under control.
Prevention
Condoms
The total number of condoms provided by international donors has been relatively low. One report showed that between 2000 and 2005, the average number of condoms distributed in Nigeria by donors was 5.9 per man, per year21. A study in 2002 found that 75 percent of health service facilities that had been visited did not have any condoms or contraceptive supplies22.
The number of female condoms sold in Nigeria has significantly increased, which indicates a greater awareness of sexual health issues. In 2003 only 25,000 female condoms had been sold, which increased to 375,000 in 200623. The female condom can potentially help in reducing the spread of HIV, as it does not rely upon the willingness of the man to use a condom himself. However, the female condom is more expensive than the traditional male condom, and is too pricey for the majority of Nigerians.
Restrictions on condom promotion have hampered HIV prevention efforts. In 2001, a radio advertisement was suspended by the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) for promoting messages suggesting that it is acceptable to engage in premarital sex as long as a condom is used24. In 2006 APCON also started to enforce stricter regulations on condom advertisements that might encourage ‘indecency’25.
Education
As the majority of new HIV infections occur in young people between the ages of 15 and 25, sex education at school is an important aspect of HIV prevention. In recent years a new curriculum has been introduced for comprehensive sex education for 10-18 year olds. It focuses on improving young people's knowledge and attitudes to sexual health and reducing sexual risk-taking behaviours.
In the past, attempts at providing sex education for young people were hampered by religious and cultural objections26. However, the new curriculum was developed with consultation from religious and community leaders and is expected to remain in place in the future.
Media campaigns & public awareness
As Nigeria is such a large and diverse country, media campaigns to raise awareness of HIV are a practical way of reaching many people in different regions. Radio campaigns like the one created by the Society for Family Health are thought to have been successful in increasing knowledge and changing behaviour. "Future Dreams", was a radio serial broadcast in 2001 in nine languages on 42 radio channels. It focused on encouraging consistent condom use, increasing knowledge and increasing skills for condom negotiation in single men and women aged between 18 and 3427.
In 2005, a campaign was launched in Nigeria in a bid to raise more public awareness of HIV/AIDS. This campaign took advantage of the recent increase in owners of mobile phones and sent text messages with information about HIV/AIDS to 9 million people28.
Some 80% of HIV infections in Nigeria are transmitted through heterosexual sex. Factors contributing to this include a lack of information about sexual health and HIV, low levels of condom use and high levels of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea, which make it easier for the virus to be transmitted.
It has been reported that blood transfusions account for up to 10 percent of new HIV infections in Nigeria11. There is a high demand for blood because of blood loss from surgery and childbirth, road-traffic accidents and anaemia and malaria. Not all Nigerian hospitals have the technology to effectively screen blood and therefore contaminated blood is often used. The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health have responded by backing legislation that requires hospitals to only use blood from the National Blood Transfusion Service, which has far more advanced blood-screening technology12.
The other main transmission route is mother-to-child transmission. In 2005 it was estimated that 220,000 children were living with HIV, most of whom became infected from their mothers13.
Factors contributing to the spread of HIV in Nigeria
Lack of sexual health information and education
Sex is traditionally a very private subject in Nigeria and the discussion of sex with teenagers is often seen as inappropriate. Up until recently there was little or no sexual health education for young people and this has been a major barrier to reducing rates of HIV and other STDs. UNAIDS estimate that only 18 percent of women and 21 percent of men between the ages of 15 and 24 correctly identify ways to prevent HIV14. Lack of accurate information about sexual health has meant there are many myths and misconceptions about sex and HIV, contributing to increasing transmission rates as well as stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV/AIDS.
HIV testing
Doctors seeing patients in an HIV clinic in Nigeria
Another contributing factor to the spread of HIV in Nigeria is the distinct lack of voluntary and routine HIV testing. In a 2003 survey, just 6 percent of women and 14 percent of men had ever been tested for HIV and received the results15. In 2005, only around 1 percent of pregnant women were being tested for HIV16.
In 2006 president Obasanjo publicly received an HIV test and counselling on World AIDS Day in order to promote the services and information available to people in Nigeria. He stated on the day, “A great majority of Nigerians have now come to accept the reality of AIDS”17. However, the statistics show that the Nigerian government desperately need to scale up HIV testing rates in order to bring the epidemic under control.
Cultural practices
Women are particularly affected by the epidemic in Nigeria. In 2006 UNAIDS estimated that women accounted for 61.5 percent of all adults aged 15 and above living with HIV18.
Traditionally, women in Nigeria marry young, although the average age at which they marry varies between states. A 2007 study revealed that 54 percent of girls from the North West aged between 15-24 were married by age 15, and 81 percent were married by age 1819. The study showed that the younger married girls lacked knowledge on reproductive health, which included HIV/AIDS. They also tend to lack the power and education needed to insist upon the use of a condom during sex. Coupled with the high probability that the husband will be significantly older than the girl and therefore is more likely to have had more sexual partners in the past, young women are more vulnerable to HIV infection within marriage.
AVERT.org has more about women and AIDS.
Poor healthcare system
Over the last two decades, Nigeria's healthcare system has deteriorated as a result of political instability, corruption and a mismanaged economy. Large parts of the country lack even basic healthcare provision, making it difficult to establish HIV testing and prevention services such as those for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission. Sexual health clinics providing contraception, testing and treatment for other STDs are also few and far between20. This makes it particularly difficult to keep the spread of the epidemic under control.
Prevention
Condoms
The total number of condoms provided by international donors has been relatively low. One report showed that between 2000 and 2005, the average number of condoms distributed in Nigeria by donors was 5.9 per man, per year21. A study in 2002 found that 75 percent of health service facilities that had been visited did not have any condoms or contraceptive supplies22.
The number of female condoms sold in Nigeria has significantly increased, which indicates a greater awareness of sexual health issues. In 2003 only 25,000 female condoms had been sold, which increased to 375,000 in 200623. The female condom can potentially help in reducing the spread of HIV, as it does not rely upon the willingness of the man to use a condom himself. However, the female condom is more expensive than the traditional male condom, and is too pricey for the majority of Nigerians.
Restrictions on condom promotion have hampered HIV prevention efforts. In 2001, a radio advertisement was suspended by the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) for promoting messages suggesting that it is acceptable to engage in premarital sex as long as a condom is used24. In 2006 APCON also started to enforce stricter regulations on condom advertisements that might encourage ‘indecency’25.
Education
As the majority of new HIV infections occur in young people between the ages of 15 and 25, sex education at school is an important aspect of HIV prevention. In recent years a new curriculum has been introduced for comprehensive sex education for 10-18 year olds. It focuses on improving young people's knowledge and attitudes to sexual health and reducing sexual risk-taking behaviours.
In the past, attempts at providing sex education for young people were hampered by religious and cultural objections26. However, the new curriculum was developed with consultation from religious and community leaders and is expected to remain in place in the future.
Media campaigns & public awareness
As Nigeria is such a large and diverse country, media campaigns to raise awareness of HIV are a practical way of reaching many people in different regions. Radio campaigns like the one created by the Society for Family Health are thought to have been successful in increasing knowledge and changing behaviour. "Future Dreams", was a radio serial broadcast in 2001 in nine languages on 42 radio channels. It focused on encouraging consistent condom use, increasing knowledge and increasing skills for condom negotiation in single men and women aged between 18 and 3427.
In 2005, a campaign was launched in Nigeria in a bid to raise more public awareness of HIV/AIDS. This campaign took advantage of the recent increase in owners of mobile phones and sent text messages with information about HIV/AIDS to 9 million people28.
HIV AND AIDS IN NIGERIA
UNAIDS estimates that in Nigeria, around 3.1 percent of adults between ages 15-49 are living with HIV and AIDS. Although the HIV prevalence is much lower in Nigeria than in other African countries such as South Africa and Zambia, the size of Nigeria’s population (around 138 million) meant that by the end of 2007, there were an estimated 2,600,000 people infected with HIV.1
Approximately 170,000 people died from AIDS in 2007 alone2. With AIDS claiming so many people's lives, Nigeria’s life expectancy has declined. In 1991 the average life expectancy was 53.8 years for women and 52.6 years for men3. In 2007 these figures had fallen to 46 for women and 47 for men.
Despite being the largest oil producer in Africa and the 12th largest in the world4, Nigeria is ranked 158 out of 177 on the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Poverty Index5. This poor economic position has meant that Nigeria is faced with huge challenges in fighting its HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The history of HIV and AIDS in Nigeria
The first two HIV cases in Nigeria were identified in 1985 and were reported at an international AIDS conference in 19866. In 1987 the Nigerian health sector established the National AIDS Advisory Committee, which was shortly followed by the establishment of the National Expert Advisory Committee on AIDS (NEACA).
At first the Nigerian government was slow to respond to the increasing rates of HIV transmission7 and it was only in 1991 that the Federal Ministry of Health made their first attempt to assess the Nigerian HIV/AIDS situation. The results showed that around 1.8 percent of the population of Nigeria were infected with HIV. Subsequent surveillance reports revealed that during the 1990s the HIV prevalence rose from 3.8% in 1993 to 4.5% in 19988.
A poster encouraging sexual abstinence in Nigeria
When Olusegun Obasanjo became the president of Nigeria in 1999, HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care became one of the government’s primary concerns. The President’s Committee on AIDS and the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) were created, and in 2001, the government set up a three-year HIV/AIDS Emergency Action Plan (HEAP). In the same year, Obasanjo hosted the Organisation of African Unity’s first African Summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Other Related Infectious Diseases9.
Despite these positive intentions for tackling the epidemic, in 2006 it was estimated that just 10 percent of HIV-infected women and men were receiving antiretroviral therapy and only 7 percent of pregnant women were receiving treatment to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV10.
Approximately 170,000 people died from AIDS in 2007 alone2. With AIDS claiming so many people's lives, Nigeria’s life expectancy has declined. In 1991 the average life expectancy was 53.8 years for women and 52.6 years for men3. In 2007 these figures had fallen to 46 for women and 47 for men.
Despite being the largest oil producer in Africa and the 12th largest in the world4, Nigeria is ranked 158 out of 177 on the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Poverty Index5. This poor economic position has meant that Nigeria is faced with huge challenges in fighting its HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The history of HIV and AIDS in Nigeria
The first two HIV cases in Nigeria were identified in 1985 and were reported at an international AIDS conference in 19866. In 1987 the Nigerian health sector established the National AIDS Advisory Committee, which was shortly followed by the establishment of the National Expert Advisory Committee on AIDS (NEACA).
At first the Nigerian government was slow to respond to the increasing rates of HIV transmission7 and it was only in 1991 that the Federal Ministry of Health made their first attempt to assess the Nigerian HIV/AIDS situation. The results showed that around 1.8 percent of the population of Nigeria were infected with HIV. Subsequent surveillance reports revealed that during the 1990s the HIV prevalence rose from 3.8% in 1993 to 4.5% in 19988.
A poster encouraging sexual abstinence in Nigeria
When Olusegun Obasanjo became the president of Nigeria in 1999, HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care became one of the government’s primary concerns. The President’s Committee on AIDS and the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) were created, and in 2001, the government set up a three-year HIV/AIDS Emergency Action Plan (HEAP). In the same year, Obasanjo hosted the Organisation of African Unity’s first African Summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Other Related Infectious Diseases9.
Despite these positive intentions for tackling the epidemic, in 2006 it was estimated that just 10 percent of HIV-infected women and men were receiving antiretroviral therapy and only 7 percent of pregnant women were receiving treatment to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV10.
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