EDITORIAL: Increase men’s uptake of antiretroviral therapy

Editorials

Tuesday, November 27, 2018 21:49

By EDITORIAL

Reports that fewer men are enrolled for HIV/Aids drugs despite higher death rates among males is worrisome.

Since 2013, for instance, 82,933 men have died of the disease, accounting for 56 per cent of total deaths registered by the end of 2017. Fewer women have died of the disease despite the fact that HIV/Aids infections are higher among females.

The explanation for these trends is that the uptake of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is higher among women than men.

Although the number of adults in need of ART rose more than two-folds from about 627,900 in 2010 to 1.38 million in 2017, men are still not as receptive of the treatment as women.

This demands that agencies and partners collaborating in the fight against HIV/Aids find a way of tackling the obstacles to men's use of ARTs.

The fight against HIV cannot be won without ensuring all who need the drugs have them, especially in a country such as ours where patriarchy remains dominant and women lack a say in many aspects of interpersonal relationships.

Numerous studies have suggested that stigma and notions of masculinity have left many men in denial of their condition and hindered them from accessing and adhering to treatment.

This has often negatively impacted on the health of females some of whom failed to either disclose their HIV status or enroll for medication for fear of drawing the wrath of a non-supportive partner.

This kind of gridlock is not helpful because it opens room for new infections and re-infections through risky behaviour.

It must howver be acknowledged that changing social and cultural beliefs is never a walk in the park and those leading such campaigns must be well prepared for lengthy and windy sessions of persuasion.

Creating peer support groups has proved effective in attaining behavioural change. This should be a chance to winning more men into taking in ARTs.