Type | Journal Article - AIDS Behav |
Title | Gender Norms and HIV Testing/Treatment Uptake: Evidence from a Large Population-Based Sample in South Africa |
Volume | 23 |
Issue | Suppl 2 |
Publication (Day/Month/Year) | 2019 |
Page numbers | 162-171 |
URL | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31359218 |
Abstract | How does the endorsement of different dimensions of gender norms by men and/or women influence their use of HIV testing and antiretroviral treatment? This question was examined using data from a 2014 population-based survey of 1053 women and 1004 men, ages 18-49, in rural South Africa. We used a global measure for views toward gender norms (the GEM Scale), plus four subsets of scale items (all reliabilities >/= 0.7). In multivariate analyses using the global measure, endorsement of inequitable gender norms was associated with more testing (AOR 2.47, p < 0.01) and less treatment use (AOR 0.15, p < 0.01) among women but not men. When examining specific subsets of inequitable norms (e.g., endorsing men as the primary decision-maker), decreased odds of treatment use was found for men as well (AOR 0.18, p < 0.01). Careful attention to the role specific gender norms play in HIV service uptake can yield useful programmatic recommendations. |