Factors That Fuel the Spread of Hiv Infection Among the Youth

FACTORS THAT FUEL THE SPREAD OF HIV INFECTION AMONG THE YOUTH Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a blood-borne transmissible virus and globally this virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is causing devastation by destroying communities, families and taking away hope for the future. Malawi has not been spared of the catastrophe brought by HIV/AIDS and the prevalence rate amongst young people between the ages of 15 and 24 remains unacceptably very high. As per the 2008 National Census report, the youth in Malawi comprise over half of the whole population and this is the age group that has disproportionately been affected by HIV/AIDS pandemic which, unfortunately, has no known cure to-date. In order to fight the spread of†¦show more content†¦These harmful traditional cultural beliefs are interlinked with many other variables in the whole equation and there are several cultural practices across the nation that one can rightly construe as counterproductive relative to the fight against the spread of HIV. For example ‘kusasa/kuchotsa fumbi’ - sexual cleansing of graduate initiates from ‘chinamwali’ and this is practiced in most parts of the southern region. After attending initiation ceremonies a man is hired to have sexual intercourse with the newly initiated adolescent girls in order to sexually prepare them for married life. The identity of the man is a secret and he is commonly referred to as ‘fisi’ (i.e. a hyena that comes out at night). The young girls are threatened that if they refuse to have sexual intercourse with the ‘fisi’ then the girls will seriously get sick as ancestors demand that these traditio nal rules be strictly followed and adhered to. This cultural practice puts girls at high risk of contracting HIV because the HIV status of the man (the ‘fisi’) is not known and if he is HIV positive then he will infect the innocent young girls. Wife inheritance – ‘chokolo’ - is another harmful cultural ritual practiced by many ethnic groups across the nation in which the widow agrees to marry her husband’s younger brother or nephew in order to continue as a member of the family. In case of refusal the widow is expelled and left to care for her children alone and is forcefullyShow MoreRelatedThe Epidemic Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus1454 Words   |  6 Pagestoday. The acronym for this virus is HIV. More than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV and almost 1 out of 8 are unaware of this infection. There are over 50,000 new infections per year. It has impacted our society greatly. In 2010, President Obama made the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. 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