Press Release: World AIDS day statement: Call for end to anguish of
women living with HIV/AIDS in Asia
Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS
30 November 2004
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Females twice as likely as males to undergo social exclusion and rights
violations due to their HIV status

Bangkok--Unequal social and economic status between males and females
makes HIV-positive women in Asia and the Pacific bear the brunt of the
AIDS crisis and puts girls in the most vulnerable position for HIV
infection, according to a World AIDS Day statement issued today by the
Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (APN+). It also
says that these alarming trends need to be overcome by applying
gender-based approach and engaging females as part of the solution.

"Gender inequalities make it difficult for Asian women to negotiate
safer sex in a relationship. Many of us cannot choose sexual partners
because the choice is already made for us," said Kousalya, a positive
woman in India.

"Females have encountered problems to a great extent once diagnosed
with HIV, especially violence from their husbands and exclusion of
their children from attending school."

Facing worst discrimination.

The statement cites the findings of a recent study by APN+, reporting
that torment is much worse for HIV-positive women as they are twice
more likely than men to have faced physical, verbal and/or mental
abuse, be forced to change their place of residence, or be excluded
from family and social functions. The study also reveals that females
have experienced greater crises, 3 times more likely than their male
peers, when it comes to loss of financial support from their spouse or
denial of entry to public places.

According to the study released this year interviewing 750 people
living with HIV in India, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines,
mandatory and uninformed HIV testing of women, especially during
pregnancy, is increasingly popular throughout Asia and with it comes a
vast range of human rights violations. Many of the women are blamed as
the vectors of HIV transmission and face violent outcomes from their
partners or in-laws as a result of their diagnosis.

"Women with HIV face significantly more discrimination than men do,"
said Dr. Susan Paxton, APN+ Advisor and principal investigator for the
research who has lived with HIV for over fifteen years. "Single and
widowed ones are particularly vulnerable to human rights violations
from family or the community. One in every eight females interviewed
during our study had been coerced into an abortion or sterilisation
after being diagnosed with HIV and only one in five was given
information about prevention of parent-to-child transmission."

Greater says and more choices needed

On the World AIDS Day, women living with HIV/AIDS in the Asia Pacific
Region demand an end to all forms of discrimination, more access to
antiretroviral drugs, sustainable livelihoods, freedom of choice within
sexual relationships, and freedom to make reproductive health
decisions.

"We cannot protect ourselves because we have no access to information
about HIV/AIDS. Educating women about the epidemic and building our
skills in negotiation, conflict resolution, critical thinking,
communication and decision making will improve our self-confidence and
provide us with more choices," said Ms Frika Chia, APN+ Co-chair. "In
Asian culture, women are often seen as subservient to men. I think this
is the time to listen to females' voices and find effective solutions
to eliminate discrimination and violence against us. Our response to
HIV/AIDS must be gender-based and must as well engage men to frank and
open discussion about behaviours that lead to infection."

Currently, the Asia-Pacific region harbours approximately 8.2 million
people living with HIV/AIDS, nearly 2.3 millions are women1.

Notes to editors: About Asia Pacific Network of People Living with
HIV/AIDS (APN+)

APN+ has been established since 1994 to create a collective voice for
HIV-positive people in the region. It is committed to improving the
quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and to
overcoming the isolation of PLWHA in Asia-Pacific region by extending
the network into all countries in the region.

During the past ten years, the network has worked closely with PLWHA
and various partners such as UNAIDS, UNDP, Australian Red Cross, etc.
to bring about improved access to treatments, care, and support, and
lobby for equal representation of PLWHA on all relevant decision making
bodies. In addition, it has worked to provide information exchange
support and skills development for PLWHA. APN+ is the regional network
partner of the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+),
and currently works closely with 26 national networks of PLWHA in the
region.

To read the study report, please go to:
www.gnpplus.net/regions/files/AIDS-asia.pdf.

For more information on APN+ please visit/;
wwwgnpplus.net/regions/asiapac.html

If you want a copy of the APN+ World AIDS Day statement please contact
us via e-mail at: apnplus_pr@....

For media enquiries please contact:
Surasak Glahan
Tel: 664-101-4776

Ken Jittjang
Tel: 662-254-6090-1

Greg Gray
Tel: 661-554-0986.

Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS
1701, One Pacific Place, 140 Sukhumvit Rd., Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110
Thailand
Tel: 66-2-254-6090-1
Fax: 66-2-255-1128
E-mail: info@...

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Chris W. Green (chrisg@...)
Treatment Educator, Spiritia Foundation
Jakarta, Indonesia
Tel: +62 (21) 7279 7007 Fax: +62 (21) 726-9521