AIDS as a Gender Issue

...."its like eating candy with the wrapper on"......this is what a young African man said about why he (who is HIV positive) doesn't use a condom when having sex. "This is not the West...here a man must have it skin to skin.." this is another response. Masculinity and promiscuity are intertwined in many societies where our (US) govt is wanting to push "abstinence education" and where some Catholic Churches tell their parishioners to abstain and that contraception is sinful.

Not only is HIV\AIDS a medical condition and a symptom of poverty in Africa (and other places) it is a cultural issue, more specifically it is also a gender issue. Men must be enlightened and women empowered to the fact that the current ways masculinity (conquest, promiscuity, ruler) and femininity (submissive compliant laborer etc) are constructed and reinforced via interaction dynamics are no longer sustainable and need to be re-imagined not only for equity and moral issues, but for issues of life vs. death.

Some groups like the "Men's Movement Against AIDS in Kenya" are addressing these gender issues and trying to get men (and women) to change in order to halt this disease. In my opinion this grassroots organization and others like it are what more of the US's AIDs prevention and treatment money should be funneled to.