Disability is not Inability

The disabled are at Risks to HIV/AIDS
24th July 2006

Disability-based challenges increase disabled persosn risk to HIV/AIDS.
Lack of an effective communication, poor parental care buttressed by negative attitudes and cultures have made disability rights to social services scanty or seen as a less priority development targets. Access to health care is hindered not only by health personnel untrained in disability perspectives, but also preventive health strategies that do not integrate sensory disability.

Many deaf/disabled people could be at high risk for various reasons:

• A younger median age of sexual debut is common across various disabled groups.
• Majority do not believe abstinence is possible.
• Very low levels of secondary abstinence among disabled youths.
• More disabled persons find it natural to have multiple sexual partnerships.
• Low Condom access, belief in its efficacy and use.

It is also evident that the death rates from HIV in the national survey can compare well with the disabled communities. The number of deaf persons dieing from HIV has increased even with initial access to treatment and care. Low adherence to ART is common within the Deaf due to various issues as lack of access to local clinics, poverty related issues.

Other factors that could add to the higher risk among the deaf/disabled persons include:

a) Very low hospital participation rates and
b) High incidence of generally curable or preventable diseases.
c) High incidence of STI mostly in its secondary stage,
d) Poor family planning awareness among deaf families,
e) Lack of or inadequate sexual education,
f) Very low gender equality, power negotiation and high dependency on men even where the women are the bread givers.
g) High prevalence of unreported rape and sexual abuse,
h) High incidence of risky sexual choices cost/benefit assessment,
i) Lack of capacity of informed consent/choice due to high dependency on ‘able’ bodies parents, guardians, and leaders, who lack communication or take advantage of situations to gain/abuse disabled persons.

Basic knowledge in HIV/AIDS needs to be improved substantially and consistently among the Deaf. Condom use is still not considered a safe option compared with the sweetness of sex without a condom. The Chill (Abstinence) campaign has not made it to deaf schools primary or secondary. Many don’t believe or know there is anything like secondary abstinence. Quite a number don’t believe it is possible in deaf world to get primary abstinence.

Category: Health

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