Evaluation report on the project :
Focussing on men within the context of gender to prevent HIV/AIDS and HIV/AIDS stigma. May 2008-June 2009
Summary
This project has been financially supported by the Municipal health Service of Amsterdam. It is a project which was implemented within the Ghanaian community in Amsterdam between May 2008 to April 2009. In this project, there is no differentiation made between people with or without stay permit. Several persons were interviewed on the subject condom –use, sexual diversity, multiple sex partners and HIV testing ( see attached dvd recording). The recorded interviews formed the basis for discussion with 200 Ghanaian men at 4 different moments. About 50 men took part in the discussion at every focus group discussion. The fourth discussion brought men and women together.
Why this project?
In the Academic Medical Centre of Amsterdam report in 2007, the absence of HIV infected men was emphasized. Due to the fact that the policy of women to have to be tested when they are pregnant, more women have been found HIV/AIDS infected than men. The fact remain that the men do no report for HIV testing when their women have been diagnosed HIV positive. The reasons given were:
- For financial reasons the men cannot report for fear that they may be seen as the official partner of the women
- The official man may not be necessarily the man who made the women pregnant.
- The men are afraid to be tested of HIV
The report reveals that the men cannot be traced and that it is suspected that there are more men within the Ghanaian community which for fear of knowing that they are HIV positive do not go for the HIV test. They leave their partners and go for new partners resulting in spread of HIV/AIDS by indulging in onprotected sexual intercourse. In the Ghanaian family setting ( see “Okyeman” report 2007/8) the women depend on the men due to the traditional belief that a women should respect her man and again the fact that married women have a special respect within the community while unmarried women are less respected. Unmarried women are regarded as haven led an immoral life. Married women are always expected to have children. Not having children is a taboo.