Student’s Name: Chanele Coates

I.D Number: 620080867

Course Code: FOUN 1013
Tutor’s Name: Ms. Madden
Day and Time of Seminar: Wednesday, 8-10 am
Assignment: Expository Essay (First Draft)
Broad Topic: HealthCare and Gender
Narrowed Topic: What are the social implications of Jamaican women who have HIV/ Aids?
 The Ministry of Health Jamaica in its National HIV/STI Program(NHP) confirms that the

spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the Acquired Immune Deficiency

Syndrome (AIDS) has doubled among women compared with males between the late 90s

and 2011(Ministry of Health Jamaica, 2011). These statistics assert that despite of the

increased general awareness made by agencies like the NHP, other societal factors which

have influenced its spread among more females than males. The social vulnerability of

women is linked with a cultural reticent which perceives females as passive sexual objects,

who are expected to do any sexual act necessary for a male’s gratification for monetary gains

or otherwise, irrespective of the male engaging in any activity which makes him more

susceptible to HIV/AIDS. The prevalence of HIV/ AIDS among Jamaican women has been

ascribed to the high cases of female unemployment or economic dependency on their male

partners, the cultural glorification of sex which stereotypes women as sexual objects and the

discrimination faced by women who are living with the virus.

Firstly, the high cases of unemployment or economic dependency on their male partners

have led to an increase in HIV/ AIDS among Jamaican women. Despite Jamaica being a

matrifocal society, gender biases prevent women from gaining high paid employment or in

some cases they are paid significantly less compared to their male counterparts. Furthermore,

some women who are untrained or have not attained a post-secondary or primary education,

find it difficult to attain a high paying job. Consequently, some women may engage in

prostitution as a means to provide for themselves and their children which increases their risk

of contracting HIV/ AIDS. In contending with this belief, Figueroa et al (2008) asserted that,

“Many female sex-workers report that they do not like the trade but it pays better than most

other employment that they can do, such as domestic work, and they need the money to look
after their children (pp.569). This statement asserts the social awareness of women towards

the great gender inequality which exist and the valuation of women to mere sexual objects,

rather than as possible breadwinners to support and socialize the next generation. On the

other hand, some women who are economically dependent on men, who are sexually

promiscuous are often forced to perform sexual acts to retain their source of income. These

women are sometimes abused sexually or otherwise by their male counterparts as they have

no negligible say on relationship issues. Additionally, many young women engage in

intergenerational relationships, with older men for monetary and other incentives, and are left

prone to contracting the virus. Hickling, Gibson, Matthies and Morgan (2015) underscored

that young adolescent females were three times as likely to contract HIV as they engage in

sex with older men (p.216). This highlights the ‘sugar daddy’ phenomenon, were young girls

engage in this ‘accepted form of prostitution’, increasing their vulnerability to the virus.

Secondly, the cultural glorification of sex and the perception of women as sexual objects,

increases the vulnerability of women to contracting HIV/ AIDS. Jamaican popular culture

which is influenced by the media endorses women engaging in early sexual activity, to “get

and keep a man” and most females who act on this endorsement are unaware of negative

implications of sex and leave themselves at risk of contracting HIV/ AIDS. Forbes (2006)

adduced the sexually explicit dimension of dancehall culture, both its lyrics and practices in

the dance arena which pressures females to be highly sexualize. This highlights that

dancehall culture socializes and also mirrors the society which ‘big up’ females to sexually

offer themselves to appease their partner, irrespective of them being ‘wifey’ or ‘matey’ ,as it

is the man’s choice to structure sexual relations. Therefore, unsafe sexual practices and

attitudes are perceived as right and this cultural baton is passed on despite many social
interventions to correct the sexual perceptions which exist. Additionally, the Jamaican

popular culture encourages males to have multiple sexual partners without using a condom as

it interferes with their sexual pleasure, increasing the vulnerability of females to contracting

HIV/ AIDS. Figueroa et al (2008), highlighted that despite the increased use of condoms

among the population, females are often expected to stop using condom after the first sexual

interactions, as a sign of trust and older men sometimes do not use a condom as they are

unaware of how to use it or think it will interfere with their erections (pp.569). This helps

explaining the optionality of condom use among Jamaicans, that it is a barrier to the sexual

pleasure with their partner. This is an embedded perspective in the society, that the use of

‘rubber’ can kill the sexual dominance of a man, rather than a means to protect himself and

his partner for sexually transmitted diseases. Women who refuse to adhere to the prevailing

sexual norms, are often victims to sexual violence. The stipulated sexual docility of women

gives men the entitlement to obtain sex from any woman they want, and if there is any form

of sexual resistance, women are often sexually abused or rape. Postmodern culture often

depict sexual restraints as old fashioned and even unnecessary and women are shamed as

frigid or abnormal. Additionally, the accepted code of dress for women, to announce their

femininity, is taken by some as a justifiable excuse of why women are sexually abused as

they ‘ask for it’. This has negative physiological implications for women, who would be

unaware of the HIV/ AIDS status of their abuser. Furthermore, women who are sexually

abused are seen as weak and, for fear of being ostracized, may refuse health care which

increases the risk they have to developing HIV/ AIDS.

Finally, the discrimination faced by women who are living with the virus, discourages

other women from knowing their HIV/ AIDS status. Women who are HIV positive are often
 discriminated against by health professionals and this prevents them from seeking health

care. Jamaica Aids support for life (2012) has maintained that, “Most of the HIV positive

women … perceived to be judgmental attitudes of health care workers towards them and the

reluctance of health care providers to listen to their concerns.”(pp. 21) Many women who are

HIV positive fear the stigma and discrimination that they might face in accessing healthcare

as they feel there is no real confidentially and professionalism in the Jamaican healthcare

service. Hence, this impedes other women from getting tested from fear of being ostracized

as doing an HIV/AIDS test signals the possibility of having the virus. Women who are HIV

positive also face violent discriminatory acts. They may be subjected to violent acts, and are

often emotionally, sexually and physically abused as it is the societal claim they are the

perpetual reason why men have contracted the virus. The violence women face is attributed

to the general lack of education about the virus, and confirmation biases that anyone can

catch the virus by just being in the presence of anyone who is infected.

The prevalence of HIV/ AIDS among women is prescribed to a number of social

implication increasing the vulnerability of women with or without the virus. The high cases of

unemployment or economic dependency on their male partners, the Jamaican popular culture

encourages males to have multiple sexual partners without using a condom as it interferes with

their sexual authority, and the increased level of discrimination faced by women who are living

the virus, discourages other women from knowing their HIV/ AIDS status. The ‘social attack’ of

HIV/AIDS among Jamaica women can be prevented, if the women are allowed to voice their

societal struggles.

References
1. Figueroa et al. (2008). A Comprehensive Response to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Jamaica A

Review of the Past 20 Years, from The West Indies Medical Journal 2008 ,57, (6): 562

2. Forbes, M. (2006, August 27). Consuming a Culture of Sex: The Jamaica Observer,

Retrieved October 23 from

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/111997_Consuming-a-culture-of-sex

3. Hickling, F.W, Gibson R.C, Matthies B.K, Morgan K (2012). Perspective in Caribbean

Psychology. Kingston, Jessica Kingly Publishers

4. Jamaica aids support for life. (2012). Human Rights Issues Confronted by HIV Positive

Women in Jamaica. Kingston, Retrieved October 23 from

http://www.jasforlife.org

5. Ministry of Health Jamaica. (2011). National Epidemic Update: Facts and Figures. 2011.

Kingston, Retrieved October 20 from

http://moh.gov.jm/national-hiv-sti-tb-programme/information-centre/nhp-statistics/