Physiological, Behavioural And Social Factors Make Adolescents More Vulnerable than Adults to HIV/AIDS

Physiological, Behavioural And Social Factors Make Adolescents More Vulnerable than Adults to HIV/AIDS- Mohammad Khairul Alam -- Executive Director -- Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation -- Rainbowngo@gmail.com - Globally, the rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people is soaring. One-third of the 340 million new STIs each year occur in people under 25 years of age. Each year, more than one in every 20 adolescents contracts a curable STI. More than half of all new HIV infections occur in people between the ages of 15 to 24 years. The sexual health needs of adolescent girls are generally overlooked and stigma and vulnerability affect particular groups of men as well as women. Although men generally have more access to information on sexual issues than women, and more decision-making power regarding sexual behaviour, access to information, and treatment for other infections which facilitate the transmission of HIV and onset of AIDS, including sexually transmitted infections, are limited because of weak public health services, health workers' negative attitudes, and the high cost of treatment. If the adolescents are informed and thought about their sexual and reproductive health, they might take the decisions about it independently. The physiological, behavioural and social factors make adolescents more vulnerable than adults to STDs/STI. It has been observed who that girls have a large mucosal surface area and have not yet developed mature mucosal defence systems, are more exposed to infection. The cells that line the opening of the cervix are particularly susceptible to chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HIV.Social powerlessness, poverty and economic dependence contribute to the vulnerability of adolescent girls. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has been fuelled by gender inequality. Unequal power relations, sexual coercion and violence is a widespread phenomenon faced by women of all age-groups, and these have an array of negative effects on female sexual, physical and mental health. The study of HIV/AIDS infection reveals the disastrous effects of discrimination against women on their health and on the socio-economic structure of society. Recently, “Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation” has focused mostly on three types of work on HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh -- community mobilisation for prevention through promotion of fidelity, condom-use and abstinence; advocacy on access to affordable treatments, targeted at medicine producers and international donor organisations; and work to ensure “mainstream” support to AIDS-affected individuals and communities for integration on poverty mitigation work. HIV/AIDS has good relation with poverty and gender inequality. Without decline in gender discrimination and poverty, all efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS or sustainable development in this sector will fail.Usually, girls do not have the same educational and employment opportunities as boys, and they face family and societal pressure for early marriage and childbearing. Early marriage and early childbearing are the norms in Bangladesh. However age at marriage is rising now. Finally, there is evidence that an increasing proportion of unmarried adolescents are sexually active.Currently as age at marriage is increasing, this raises its own issues and concerns. Sometimes late marriage increases premarital sex. Sex outside marriage is normally considered immoral and adolescents who engage in it particularly girls are strongly condemned. In many societies, people from groups associated with high incidences of HIV infection -- including drug users, men who have sex with men, and commercial sex workers are subjected to a culture of fear and punishment when their HIV status is suspected.References: UNAIDS, World Bank, Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation

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