Gender, vulnerability and sufferings of HIV infected women: A case from Bangladesh

Abstract

Literature shows that women are more susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV infection than men in both developed and developing countries due to their physiological difference (Carael, Marais, Polsky, & Mendoza, 2009) and vulnerable position in society (Anwar & Khan, 2010; Ehrhardt, Sawires, McGovern, Peacock, & Weston, 2009). This paper attempts to focus on the vulnerability of women to HIV/AIDS and sufferings after being infected. A case of a HIV infected woman from Bangladesh was presented in this paper. The findings revealed that limited information about reproduction and sex, cultural perception and practices, less power in a relationship, and low income increase women's vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. This paper highlights that women's general sufferings are more intense than men in a hyper-patriarchal society. © Common Ground, Cynthia Whissell, All Rights Reserved.