HIV/AIDS
Recent trends in the epidemiology of HIV in the mainstream population of Canada indicate a decline of newly reported HIV cases, and represents primarily men who have sex with men. In the Aboriginal population, however, the epidemiology of HIV closely mirrors that of developing countries, with women being over-represented in both new infections of HIV and AIDS. Reports by the Public Health Agency of Canada indicate that before 1993, females represented 11.9% of AIDS cases among Aboriginal peoples. By 2003, this number had risen to 44%, and 44.6% of Aboriginal HIV cases in Canada.
NWAC is concerned that AIDS cases among Aboriginal women in Canada are almost 3 times higher than that of non-Aboriginal women (23.1% vs. 8.2%). Injection drug use and unprotected sex account for the main factors in the spread of HIV/AIDS among women in the Aboriginal population, and little is being done to address the issue among this vulnerable group. NWAC believes that there are various social, economic and behavioural issues that heighten this concern. In addition, Aboriginal women often experience a triple layer of marginalization in Canadian society based on gender inequality, race and HIV status.
The Challenge
According to a recent study by the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network (CAAN), “Aboriginal people living with HIV/AIDS participants stated that their health was negatively compromised by generational effects of residential schools. These individuals spoke about family breakdown that included sexual abuse, lack of parenting skills, addictions, and loss of culture, language and identity. In the view of these APHAs, their parents’ experiences led to unhealthy sexuality and high-risk behaviours in their lives, resulting in increased vulnerability to HIV transmission.”
Disempowerment of Aboriginal women by victimization through family violence, systemic abuse, poverty and learned helplessness have created barriers in ensuring that Aboriginal women have the means and opportunities to protect themselves against HIV. Gender inequality and power imbalances in Aboriginal communities effects efforts to overcome challenges such as this, when Aboriginal women are swimming against the current in their attempts to take measures to heal from historic abuses such as those that came with residential schooling.
The Issue
It has been reported that as many as 29% of Aboriginal households with children are headed by women. As a result of inadequate economic support, many Aboriginal women struggle to provide for their children, keep food on the table or maintain a roof over their head. In the depths of their despair and with few opportunities available, some Aboriginal women have turned to the sex trade as a means of survival, where they are further victimized, often placing themselves at a higher risk of HIV and STI infection through both unprotected sex and injection drug use.
Injection drug use accounts for two thirds of the new HIV infections among Canada’s Aboriginal populations, with Aboriginal women facing further challenges. Recent AIDS figures reveal that injection drug use is six times more common among Aboriginal women than their mainstream counterparts (35.9% vs 6.3%). It has been recently reported that in one region in Saskatchewan, 8 women tested HIV positive late in their pregnancies, 5 of the 8 were Aboriginal. In a Regina hospital the neonatal intensive care unit had 125 addicted babies born in a 6 month period. Concerns have emerged not only regarding the women who are HIV positive, but the babies that are born with infection and the potential epidemic of addicted and HIV infected babies. With limited resources, how will these families cope?
The Opportunity
NWAC is exploring avenues to address the HIV crisis among Aboriginal women and the potential epidemic of HIV infected babies that will bring about its own myriad of social issues to be dealt with. The Health Unit at NWAC intends to develop a working relationship with partner organizations such as the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network, the Canadian AIDS Society, Health Canada and other potential partners to research the issue of Aboriginal women and HIV/AIDS and begin to develop tangible projects that will begin to address issues such as vulnerability, and begin to establish gender-specific, culturally appropriate prevention and education initiatives for Aboriginal women.