Gender relations in urban households in Bombay: challenges for HIV / STD prevention

Arrows Change. 1997 Apr;3(1):3.

Abstract

PIP: 35 low-income women of childbearing age in Bombay participated in focus group discussions held to identify women's sexual and reproductive health behaviors and examine the economic and sociocultural realities which influence those behaviors. The aim was to obtain a better understanding of the barriers which low-income women face in protecting themselves from sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. 8 of the women were also interviewed in 2-hour individual sessions. It was found that in male-female relationships, whether social or sexual, men appeared to have power over women. Possession of several key resources such as mobility, information and skills, money, and social support are necessary to have power over one's life and in relationships. Restrictions upon women's mobility are imposed by their parents during childhood and by their husbands in marriage. With regard to reproduction and sexuality, the women were constrained by their ignorance of menstruation, sexual intercourse, pregnancy, and childbirth until they experienced them. Women were unable to assess their own state of sexual and reproductive health, making it difficult for them to seek appropriate care. Having access to money enabled women to make significant life choices, such as in educational careers and in ending abusive and unfulfilling marriages.

MeSH terms

  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome*
  • Asia
  • Demography
  • Developing Countries
  • Disease
  • Family Characteristics*
  • HIV Infections*
  • India
  • Infections
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Population
  • Population Characteristics
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases*
  • Urban Population*
  • Virus Diseases