HOW SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FACTORS INFLUENCE THE SPREAD OF HIV AIDS IN AFRICA

al 2014). The societal judgement influences the risk of spread of a disease and also determines the way people reacts to certain disease. For a decade now, researchers have worked on the field to find a panacea to HIV/AIDS prevention, the estimates of people living with HIV infection at end of 2013 was 34. 0 million. The Africa Sub-Saharan is the most affected with 4. The gender inequality in African marriages makes women vulnerable to HIV infections in spite of being aware of their spouse sexual interaction, they are unable to make sexual decisions and protect themselves due to the gender disparity in the society. Also, the increased early marriage on young girls makes them vulnerable to HIV. The insignificant age gap with their older husbands who are more likely HIV infected increases the power difference between the spouses and makes the young married girls more exposed to unprotected sex due to inability to negotiate for safe sex (Mwalabu, 2017).

Secondly, discrimination and taboos in most African communities’ influences spread of HIV epidemic. Most infected people in African societies experience cultural stigma and taboos related to sexual activities. Also, Cultural beliefs and practices among African communities associated with sexual activities contribute to spread and infection of the HIV epidemic. Some cultural practices justified in the name of cultural value and culture identity are very harmful such as sexual cleansing and female genital cutting which increase the risk of spreading HIV African communities as they have negative attitude towards contraceptives. They find it difficult and wary to seek information on how to use them as they associate the contraceptives with unfaithfulness, untrustworthy and diseases. Certain African communities have more emphasis on fertility as well as the women are usually under pressure from there community to prove their fertility by getting pregnant and hence this encourage unprotected and unsafe sex among couples.

Some other norms and practices like polygamy whereby it’s a legally sanctioned practice in most African communities whereby a man is allowed to marry more than one wife and a belief that a man cannot be satisfied by one woman. Both social factors and cultural values evolve through a process starting from infancy stage until it becomes a sanctioned norm and practice of a certain community. These norms, values, practices and beliefs determine and defines peoples’ perception on how they view life issues. They have strong influence and determines the vulnerability of masculine and feminine gender on HIV. However, the socio-cultural factors can be utilized to help prevent the spread of HIV among the African communities and groups. Dialogue with religious leaders can be established to give accurate information to enable sensitization of the affected groups or communities and influence their policies on the harmful cultural practices which make HIV vulnerable to spread.