Awusabo-Asare K, Anarfi J K
Department of Geography, University of Cape Coast.
Health Transit Rev. 1997;7 Suppl:257-70.
Postpartum sexual abstinence for females has been identified as one of the socio-cultural factors with the potential for creating conditions for the sexual spread of HIV in areas where it is practised. In general, women are expected to abstain from sex after childbirth in order to ensure the survival of the mother and child. Men are not similarly expected to abstain and that has been used to rationalize polygyny. With changes in socio-economic conditions making it more difficult now than before to maintain two or more wives, particularly in urban areas, some men will abstain like their wives for fear of HIV infection; but such men may press their wives to resume sex early. Some women, on the other hand, may give in to the demands of their husbands by reducing the prescribed duration of postpartum abstinence. If this happens without the use of effective modern contraception, fertility may be affected. Some may also enter short or long-term relationship outside marriage, hoping that they will be safe from sexually transmitted infection. Using data from the Ghana segment of the Social Dimensions of AIDS Infection Survey, the study examines the responses of women who reported postpartum sexual abstinence and that of their partners. Both men and women reported abstaining, but some women were aware that their partners did not abstain as they did. Some of the women knew the sexual partners of their partners. Mostly it was men who made the first move to resume sex. For any behavioural change to occur, attitudes towards socially-constructed practices such as postpartum sexual abstinence will need to be changed by intensive education of both men and women and also through community support.
产后女性性禁欲已被确定为社会文化因素之一，在实行该措施的地区，它有可能为艾滋病毒的性传播创造条件。一般来说，女性产后被期望禁欲，以确保母婴存活。而男性则没有类似的禁欲期望，这被用来为一夫多妻制合理化。随着社会经济状况的变化，现在维持两个或更多妻子比以前更加困难，特别是在城市地区，一些男性可能会像他们的妻子一样禁欲，因为害怕感染艾滋病毒；但这些男性可能会催促他们的妻子早日恢复性生活。另一方面，一些女性可能会屈从于丈夫的要求，缩短规定的产后禁欲时间。如果这种情况在没有使用有效的现代避孕措施的情况下发生，生育可能会受到影响。一些女性也可能会在婚外建立短期或长期关系，希望自己不会感染性传播感染。利用艾滋病感染社会层面调查加纳部分的数据，该研究考察了报告产后性禁欲的女性及其伴侣的反应。男性和女性都报告有禁欲情况，但一些女性意识到她们的伴侣并没有像她们那样禁欲。一些女性知道她们伴侣的性伴侣。大多数情况下是男性率先提出恢复性生活。为了实现任何行为改变，需要通过对男性和女性进行强化教育以及社区支持，来改变对诸如产后性禁欲等社会建构行为的态度。
