About FEMINISATION of HIV

I think it's not too much for me to write about this, even though you will find it familiar (if you had read the Star Cover Story dated 28 Dec 08).

"Although our HIV programmes have contributed to the steady decline in rates of infection over the years..."
Not that "I" heard of, or maybe I'm really unaware of any "good" news that have been intentionally spread through Malaysia "Multimedia Super Corridor". Apart from the "good" news, bad spell had landed in Malaysia, this is what I thought, for women in particular. From the statistic shown, UNICEF and WHO reported women made up 16.4% (rise of 9% compared to 2002) of newly infected people. Everyday there will be an average of 2 women get infected with HIV. Also from the same article posted, it says studies have estimated that women between 25 and 49 years have slightly higher levels of vulnerability to HIV infection compared to men. If you think that those who lead promiscuous lifestyle will have higher risk of getting infected, housewives always outnumbered sex-workers 5x among all the women who are infected. Aren't all these clearly shows that women had won the status battle? What battle? Gender equality it is, the "better" is women had won - being at higher-risk to get infected.

There are tons of theories why WOMEN are dangerously exposed, vulnerable, helpless to HIV infection. For example: biological vulnerability. Females have a larger genital mucosal surface (lining of the vagina and cervix) area exposed compared to males during sexual intercourse....... Fluids such as semen have a higher concentration of HIV compared to those secreted by a female during sex...... In a society that places a high value on virginity, unprotected anal intercourse (to protect virginity and avoid the risk of pregnancy) also poses a risk of HIV transmission as the...... Let these all to echo in our mind when we spend the time to ask ourselves, are we well-educated on these facts? What we have heard is the awareness campaigns in large shopping malls. Excuse me?! Shopping malls? As I have stated earlier, 5/6 of women infected with HIV are housewives and I do think that lack of education and socioeconomic vulnerability are the major contributors. Please forgive me, but I have to be frank to admit that women working at home for house chores and being too busy to get "enlightened" are very VULNERABLE. Imagine the husbands withhold the supremacy in the family as they work to support the family and women without working could be asked to save the crap if these mamas request for 1)safe and control sex, 2)little bit of education on HIV (they might be blamed for being disrespectful and suspicious of the husbands), 3)HIV check as they will be accused of being unfaithful to the husbands and posing threat to the family. On and on... I think I should take back my words - gender equality, the males still rules, with the females suffering at the other end.

Being a blogger and being a young one, I don't live life long enough to experience the pain of women (giving birth to a child, taking care of a husband/family and working at the same time). However, the people who lives around me somehow discriminative-ly portrays the best picture of how women should be the one to be blamed if there are gender equality issue gets involved. A woman is raped and the people blamed her for dressing up "improperly" that had put herself in danger. If the wife gets infected, that must because of her "improper" ways of living her life - NOT loyal to the husband and without having protected sex. Little will consider the probability of the husband cheated and had random sex partners. Save these crap!

There are saying on this HIV/AIDS thing: "Don't do it. If you do it, don't get it. If you get it, don't spread it!" Anybody knows what the problem is here? If you want to teach a kid NOT to steal, you shouldn't tell him if you EVENTUALLY steal something, don't get caught! Studying probability in Stat makes you realize, to hit the jackpot is possible, because the probability might be near to 0, but it's still very much a Oh yes I got it possibility. (Sorry, this ain't a thread to promote Magnum, Da-ma-cai etc.) Working in Failure Analysis also tells us to get rid of the defect, we need to get the root cause.

Women women. Either you stand up or you perish, and remember, everybody has a choice.

I think Beyonce, Rihanna, Sheryl Crow have something to say...... to the ladies. Guys, if you think you want to help, please lend your hands. Thank you.