Sexual and economic subordination of women by men fuels the HIV/AIDS pandemic

Women are also vulnerable to coerced sex, including rape, forced sex work and other sexual abuse. Therefore, men must take on a fair share of responsibility for AIDS awareness and for preventing transmission.

Why? Because the facts are clear. According to the 2017 report by UNAIDS, South African men including those at highest risk of infection, test for HIV less than women, across all age groups. At the end of 2016, almost 90% of women living with HIV had been tested and knew their status, compared to only 82% of men, while 65% of women living with HIV were accessing antiretroviral therapy, compared to only 54% of men.

Also, enrolment data from Aid for Aids (AfA), which designs, develops and programmes that help businesses care for and medical schemes manage individuals living with HIV/AIDS have shown that of the females with access to AfA care, 5.3% are registered on AfA, whilst 4.1% of males are registered. This is 1.3 HIV positive females for every 1 HIV positive male. This ratio is consistent with the ratio of 1.4 sourced from the national AIDS demographic models.

It is a pity that some communities expect women to adhere strictly to monogamy and mutual fidelity while tacitly condoning men to have more partners.

Girls adolescents are being infected at a younger age than boys because of the particularly disadvantageous combination of biological, cultural and socio-economic factors.

Also, although campaigns led by Government have resulted in many more people getting tested, some men are just not interested.

Lest we forget that stigma, based on outdated understandings of HIV transmission, is driving this epidemic and resulting in new infections.

The fact is there is no excuse for the epidemic to be hitting as hard as it is in our country.

There has been a steady decrease since 2015 in new infections during the past years. However, more can still be done and people cannot afford to become complacent. With complacency comes unprotected sex. With unprotected sex comes the continued spread of a disease for which there still is no cure.

What men can do?

Men should get regular HIV tests. Too few men take HIV test. If a man is sexually active, he needs to take an HIV test every year or more often if engaged in risky sexual behaviour.

Men must take up voluntary medical male circumcision for the sake of their own health and that of the wider community and make better use of health services including HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis prevention, testing and treatment.

Men must start treatment immediately if they are HIV-positive and stay on it. HIV treatment is good for the health of men as well as their sexual partners. If men achieve viral load suppression, they are unlikely to pass their infection to a partner.

So, men must also challenge harmful gender norms. Men have the power to challenge the violence and economic power that binds women and puts them at risk.

Men need to challenge the notion of masculinity that promotes ignorance towards their own actions that put their health at risks.

We need to encourage men to get tested and those who are HIV to adopt a healthy living lifestyle. By doing so, HIV will stop being a taboo to most men in South Africa. It will be a challenge that is defeated by all members of communities.

Because men often control the dynamics of how, when and where sex happens, encouraging more men to use condoms consistently would help protect their sexual partners from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.

Lastly, teaching young men to respect women and detest gender violence and alcohol abuse helps groom a generation of men who are less likely to take risks that endanger themselves and their families.