Introducing Lucy, A health writer with three tips on how to improve sexual health services for women
Step one
Combat gender discrimination
Gender discrimination, that is one of the reasons why women are afraid to go to HIV services, because… I'll speak from the perspective of Kenya, where I come from. Any sexually transmitted infection in Kenya is called the woman disease. And so, women are stigmatised as the ones who carry the infections.
Step two
Provide inclusive services
Women going for maternity services have been denied such services and I know of an example of a woman whose story I wrote, and she ended up losing the baby because she was denied services because she was a sex worker.
Step three
Provide support groups
We’ve had examples of people who have tested positive and committed suicide because they are just alone. They feel they are just alone, so I think facilities should enhance these support groups and have groups meeting and just like a social group.
Step four
Treat HIV like any disease
HIV is a viral infection. HIV is an illness.
It's more like when you go with a headache or when you go with TB when you go with cholera.
How would you improve HIV services for women? It’s a disease. And every person living with HIV is a patient and should be accorded the respect and the dignity every patient is accorded.
How would you improve sexual health services for women?
