Health Care : Current Reviews

Stigma and childbearing: Experiences of HIV positive women in Cameroon

Global Healthcare & Fitness Summit

July 20-22, 2015 San Francisco, USA

Joyceline Ntoh-Yuh

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Health Care: Current Reviews

Abstract:

The impact of HIV/AIDS continues to be felt affecting other spheres of life fueled by high levels of stigmatization in Africa.
Stigma eventually hampers the fight against HIV from barriers to Voluntary Counseling and testing, hinders disclosure,
to non-adherence to treatment. Research shows that one of the main factors fueling HIV related stigma is the sexual nature of
the disease which is often attributed to immorality and promiscuity which becomes gendered because culturally women are
expected to live a morally up right life. In the face of HIV, women are blamed for contracting the disease and transmitting it
to others. Stigma results into negative effects on motherhood which is perceived as the pinnacle of womanhood meanwhile
procreation is associated with status, cultural and religious connotations in Cameroon. The study examined HIV stigma from
a socio-cultural perspective considering research mostly focused on medical aspects of the disease. Thus, the study assessed
how stigma affects women in relation to childbearing. In-depth interviews were conducted to examine the experiences and
perceptions of these women alongside their coping strategies. Results indicated that women living with HIV had challenges
making informed decisions; fear infecting their partners, discouraged by some medical staff in so doing altering their sociocultural
aspirations and right to motherhood. This is complicated by external societal pressure that compares motherhood
to good womanhood. Furthermore, their perceptions about childbearing are greatly affected by societal discourses and
HIV stigma. A holistic approach is vital in addressing this pertinent issue among various stakeholders and health facilities
considering HIV incidence is peculiar among young women aged 18-30 years which coincides with their peak reproductive
years.

Biography :

Joyceline Ntoh-Yuh is a Feminist and PhD Candidate in the University of Oldenburg, Germany. She holds an MA in Women & Gender Studies from the ISS Erasmus
University, Netherlands. Her research interest includes HIV/AIDS related stigma, gender issues, Sexual and Reproductive health. Since 2006 she took keen interest
in the field of HIV/AIDS were she researched on the impact of HIV on Agriculture affecting mostly women with the UN FAO Gender unit, mainstreaming HIV policies
in UNFFE Uganda, HIV stigma & child bearing in Cameroon and currently facilitates workshops with MA students in the area of Gender, Migration and HIV/AIDS.