Bending a few safe-sex rules

HIV among youths in Tanzania is said to be rising. Tanzanian HIV/Aids indicator shows that those who live in urban areas of the country are more likely to contract the disease than those who dwell in rural areas.

For years, young couples have been engaging in unprotected sex, one among the factors that have led to the rise of the disease. Women are disadvantaged owing to the outdated notion that in a relationship, a man makes major decisions. Such a perception has seen women engage in sex with their partners without using protection for fear of disappointing their partner.

When Sarah Abraham was in her teen years, one thing she was worried about the most was getting pregnant. This was because her parents warned her of the affects that come with early pregnancy. They warned her of the consequences of becoming a mother at a young age. But even with such stern warning and a self-acknowledgment of what was at risk if she engaged in unprotected sex, Sarah still went ahead and engaged in sexual acts without the use of protection.

“I tried to listen to my parents and be careful, but things changed when I joined college,” she says adding that her college years was a period characterised by careless decisions. “It was a time where I felt nothing bad would happen to me because I could decide on whom to date. I was very lucky not to get pregnant, or contract any form of STD since I was sexually active and I was in several relationships,” she recalls.

Sara, who is currently 36-years-old is one among many women who have at some point risked their lives by having unsafe sex exposing their health to STDs.

When interviewed, she admitted that she was much more concerned about unwanted pregnancy than she was with other diseases, however things changed when she lost a friend from HIV. “Everything changed when one of my friends caught the virus and decided to end her life one year after we left college. I knew if I didn’t change my ways then I was going to be the next victim. Since then I started practicing safe sex until I was married,” she stated.

In Tanzania, like the rest of other developing countries, women are said to be heavily burdened by HIV and the case for modern women particularly those who live in urban areas is said to be higher in numbers compared to those who live in rural areas.

According to the 2011-12 Tanzania HIV/Aids and Malaria Indicator Survey, it is estimated that 5.1 per cent of Tanzanians aged between 15 and 49 years are HIV positive. The HIV prevalence is reported to be higher among women with 6.2 per cent compared to 3.8 per cent for men. It is also higher in urban than rural areas where women aged 23-24 are twice as likely to be living with HIV as men of the same age.

Gender inequality

Researches have shown that women tend to become infected earlier because of a number of reasons including having great difficulty in negotiating safer sex because of gender inequality. If that is not enough, some women are said to be willing to accept sexual advances from men for a number of reasons including money and social advancement.

Scolastica Muumini, 28-year-old, states that she always insists on using protection whenever she meets a new sex partner. But she does admit that it is difficult to convince men to wear protection.

“I and my partner are currently not using any form of protection. We met one and a half years ago and at first we decided to use condoms though it took me a while to convince him. He would ask if I really trust him because why would I ask him to use protection. After a long talk he agreed to use protection but it was an off and on thing. Early this year we went for HIV test and thereon we never decided to use protection,” she says.

However, Scolastica still believes she is at risk of being infected because she can’t be sure if her partner is faithful.

“I don’t have that choice of telling my partner to start using condoms again because it might create tension in our relationship and I cannot risk doing that.

I can only pray that he stays faithful. I also have to admit that people these days are more relaxed about having sex without protection such as using condoms, or hardly think about contracting any sexually transmitted diseases because we often forget that we too are vulnerable to infections.

The best way to ensure you are safe is by taking regular tests to know your status,” she points.

Caught in a dilemma

As women are made to choose between their health and relationship, men have also been caught in situations which have led them to forego using protection.

A recent article published by hngn.com claims that men are less likely to use protection during sex if they think their female partner is attractive, it has cited a scientific survey, which stated that men are much likelier to forgo condoms when they are sleeping with a beautiful woman, than if they think their fling is with a less-attractive partner.

While the study was conducted on a small scale, it does add to the growing evidence that men and women are willing to bend a few safe-sex rules if their partners are good looking.

It went further citing lead author and University of Southampton public health researcher Anastasia Eleftheriou that men are more willing to have condom-less sex with attractive women even though they might believe that those women are more likely to have a sexually transmitted disease.

Through this study, two surprising incongruities came to surface. Some women who rated women at high risk of STIs, also considered themselves likely to have unprotected sex. Simply put, it means that even though the thought of having sex with a woman was considered risky, they still would not go the extra mile to protect themselves.

Roger Ingham, a sexual health expert at the University of Southampton, gave two potential reasons. He explains in an email to Washington Post, “men want to reproduce with women they find to be more attractive,” he said. Or it could be that young men attach high status to having sex with attractive women, “and so are willing to take more risk to acquire this status.” Or, perhaps, it is a mixture of both motivations.

When asked if men are likely to use condoms with women whom they find less attractive, Eleftheriou replied, “Yes.

We found a strong correlation between the two variables that works both ways.”

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