We conducted in-depth one-to-one interviews with 60 women to explore attitudes about HIV/AIDS, safer sexual practices and concerns of these women. They found that many of the married women were monogamous and had acquired the infection from their husbands. A few women (n=8) were aware of their husbands’ infidelity, yet many accepted their extramarital sexual behaviors either because they were economically dependent on their husbands, they felt that extramarital affairs by men was a societal “norm”, or they felt powerless to change the situation.

Although they wanted to protect themselves from HIV infection, they were not able to persuade their husbands to use condoms. After being diagnosed with HIV, almost all stayed married and a smaller number (n=22) continued to engage in sexual intercourse with their husbands. At least fourteen women saw a marked decrease in sexual intimacy after their diagnosis or the diagnosis of their husbands. While some of the women were keen to use condoms after diagnosis, a significant proportion could not persuade their husbands to use condoms consistently.

The main concerns reported by the women were the high cost of medications, stigma from family members, friends and employers, and the desire to have children. Women living with HIV clearly need holistic care to help them cope with the negative impact of the illness on their physical, mental, social and sexual well being.

Speaker’s Bio:

Mee-Lian is Associate Professor of Public Health at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, Singapore (NUS) and Director of the National Preventive Medicine Residency Program, Singapore. She teaches health promotion and behavioral change in the MBBS and MPH programs. She received her MBBS and MPH from the University of Malaya and her Doctor of Medicine from the National University of Singapore. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore and a Fellow by distinction of the Faculty of Public Health, United Kingdom.