AEGiS-14IAC: STD/HIV prevention and reproductive health for refugee women: a basic need and human right.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

STD/HIV prevention and reproductive health for refugee women: a basic need and human right.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. MoOrE1024)

Fonseca MC, Barber-Madden R, Ribeiro JT
universidad anonima de barcelona, barcelona, Spain

ISSUE: until recently humanitarian assistance has focussed primarily on basic services, with little attention to hiv/aids prevention and reproductive rights.

DESCRIPTION: a qualitative-quantitative study of 2000 women and men in idp camps and peri-urban areas in angola analysed migration, fertility, mortality, gender, knowledge and availability of services for std/hiv, reproductive health issues, and violence, showed very high fertility, mortality, and abortion rates, with low contraceptive use. the majority had some knowledge of aids, but little knowledge of prevention measures, and no condoms or condom education available. very limited if any reproductive health services, such as assistance to pregnant women for prenatal care,delivery, and family planning were available. a culturally sensitive emergency reproductive package developed to address these issues, emphasising women's needs, includes radio programming using solar plaques at campsites, soap operas about family life, std/hiv, reproductive health, and violence, using material from focus groups in local languages, sensitisation and distribution of female and male condoms, distribution of rh kits for std diagnosis and treatment and maternity care, training of health workers, mobilization of community leaders involving the military and police. lessons learned: the experience of conducting the study in a very insecure environment also provided a basis for an cast in the realities of the local level. involving local government, traditional leaders, and ngos were key to completing the study and establishing a new scenario for std/hiv prevention and reproductive health services.

RECOMMENDATIONS: the health and welfare of women is crucial to any effort to rebuild a country that has experienced armed conflict over a period of years. Therefore, providing them with reproductive health services and std/hiv prevention, even in the most rudimentary settings, is of utmost importance during the crisis.

Keywords: AEGIS, Reproductive Medicine, Health Services Needs and Demand, Human Rights, Refugees, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Family Planning Services, HIV Infections, Condoms, Emigration and Immigration, Angola, Human, Female, Male, Pregnancy, prevention & control

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MoOrE1024