Thursday, November 16, 2006

Female Fish sellers have increased risk of HIV.....




As has been heavily stated all over the world.....women everywhere are at increased risk of HIV acquisition. This week's case describes female "fish madams" near Lake Victoria exchanging sex for fish to sell in the markets.

Around the lake there are numerous women whose livelihoods depend on their ability to gather and barter fish. The fishing is done by men who return to shore with never enough fish to go around. This is of course caused by lack of fish in the world's ocean a consequence of disobeying fishing regulations, global warming, and environmental pollution. The result?..less fish..less money..more poverty & risk..........women who want or need the fish to sell give sexual favors in exchange for say a week's worth of income.

The danger of this fish-sex trade is magnified when women travel to different beaches gathering more fish, having sex with more partners, or with fish van drivers who can assure a faster return on their fish sales.

Several groups are working with these fishing villages to spread information on the risk of HIV in the fish-sex trade and condoms are being promoted. The unfortunate element is the practice remains the same only + condoms and an increase in HIV testing and counseling.

What women( and all others in poverty) need are economic alternatives to employment that eventually lead to sex exchanges. Assistance organizations should of course push for safety in the mean time,( hell that's what I do) but true change happens when poor people's options change... oh and don't even get me started about environmental regulations in Africa........



More about the fish crisis minus HIV implications....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4182972.stm
African fish crisis
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4172280.stm

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