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Gender asymmetry in healthcare-facility attendance of people living with HIV/AIDS in Burkina Faso

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  • Bila, Blandine
  • Egrot, Marc

Abstract

Anthropological research in Burkina Faso indicates that more HIV-positive women than HIV-positive men are attending care facilities for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) and accessing antiretroviral medicine. This article, situated in the field of study of interactions between gender and AIDS, offers a description of this asymmetry and an anthropological analysis of the socio-cultural determinants, through analysis of data from ethnographic research among PLWH and health actors. Examining social representations of femininity and masculinity in Burkinabe society and the organisation of the healthcare system in connection with gender shed light on the decision-making processes of both sexes around therapeutic choices and the itinerary of care. On the one hand, the social values attached to femininity, maternity and the status of wife create conditions for women that favour their attendance at care facilities for PLWH and encourage a widespread practice where wives take the place of their husbands in healthcare queues. Moreover, health policies and the effects of women's empowerment within the healthcare system strengthen women's access to health services. On the other hand, representations of masculinity are fully implicated in the cultural construction of men's reluctance to attend care facilities for PLWH. The values associated with this masculinity cause men to run great health, economic and social risks, not only for themselves, but also for their wives and children. By better understanding the interaction between gender, the experience of HIV and the institutional organisation of healthcare, we can identify ways to reduce men's reluctance to attend care facilities for PLWH and improve both prevention and treatment-oriented programmes.

Suggested Citation

  • Bila, Blandine & Egrot, Marc, 2009. "Gender asymmetry in healthcare-facility attendance of people living with HIV/AIDS in Burkina Faso," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 854-861, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:69:y:2009:i:6:p:854-861
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kempner, Joanna, 2006. "Gendering the migraine market: Do representations of illness matter?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(8), pages 1986-1997, October.
    2. Doyal, Lesley, 2000. "Gender equity in health: debates and dilemmas," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 51(6), pages 931-939, September.
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    1. Bove, Riley M. & Vala-Haynes, Emily & Valeggia, Claudia R., 2012. "Women's health in urban Mali: Social predictors and health itineraries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(8), pages 1392-1399.
    2. Kaler, Amy & Angotti, Nicole & Ramaiya, Astha, 2016. "“They are looking just the same”: Antiretroviral treatment as social danger in rural Malawi," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 71-78.
    3. Siu, Godfrey E. & Seeley, Janet & Wight, Daniel, 2013. "Dividuality, masculine respectability and reputation: How masculinity affects men's uptake of HIV treatment in rural eastern Uganda," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 45-52.
    4. Gausset, Quentin & Mogensen, Hanne Overgaard & Yameogo, Wambi Maurice Evariste & Berthé, Abdramane & Konaté, Blahima, 2012. "The ambivalence of stigma and the double-edged sword of HIV/AIDS intervention in Burkina Faso," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(7), pages 1037-1044.

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