Blinded by Tradition and Religion
Children, left to be raised by other family members after AIDS caused the death of their parents. As sad as it seems, they are the lucky ones. Some children in Zambia, Africa are left with no one after their parent's death and are forced onto the streets to take care of themselves. AIDS/HIV is infecting one in four of the 9.5 million people in Zambia. Funerals have become a daily ritual and thousands of orphans live on the streets. Zambians have strong traditions and religious beliefs that only contribute to the rapid spread of AIDS. The problem is all the greater because Zambians are reluctant to accept that HIV is the cause of all the dying. Survivors prefer to say that family members died form tuberculosis or meningitis, common AIDS related conditions. Physicians encourage euphemism by falsifying death certificated, because they know that honesty means the survivors spouse and children may be shunned, even turned out of their homes. Often the truth is withhe
Yet women continue to nurse, because formula is expensive, and any mother who feeds her child infant formula is assumed to be HIV positive and risks ostracism. Anti-AIDS drugs such as AZT or nevirapine, which can lower the risk of mother-to-child transmission by as much as 50 percent, are rarely available. Therefore, woman in this situation don't have the ability physically or economically to negotiate use of condoms, fidelity, or leave their relationships. And their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and older sisters work against all odds to support them. Sexual cleansing is another practice contributing to the spread of the disease. Woman are likewise often powerless to avoid infecting their own children. A study has shown that men who tend to have extramarital sex partners are more likely and are therefore apt to contract STDs, including HIV, are more likely to abuse their wives. In spite of Christianity's wide reach, traditional beliefs still run deep, and AIDS is sometimes attributed to witchcraft. Male promiscuity is accepted, even expected in Zambian culture, which is a contributing factor to the high HIV/AIDS rate. Traditionally, woman are taught to practice "dry sex". As their childhoods end abruptly, legions of frightened and confused kids struggle to comprehend why their lives had so precipitously spun out of control. Other indigenous beliefs and practices contribute to the high HIV/AIDS rate in Zambia. But for women, this technique is painful and tends to cause abrasions and tear condoms, facilitating HIV infection. ld from AIDS patients because they claim it will distress them too much. These traditional beliefs are deeply entrenched and the biggest problem in spreading HIV/AIDS is sexual cleansing.
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