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Rate of infections among married couples queried
2006-07-19 09:48:13
By Deodatus Mfugale, PST, Bagamoyo
The widely publicised notion that married couples are more infected by HIV/Aids than other groups of people came under fire here on Monday with some scientists and ordinary people doubting the findings by researchers.
Delegates argued that often the researchers do not work on a truly representative sample, saying they take samples mostly from married couples while neglecting other sections of the society.
we asked researchers not to confine themselves in only single districts or regions in their studies.
’’The major part of your samples is from married couples. It is obvious that the results would show married people being more infected with HIV/Aids than those who are single, which may not be the reality,’’ challenged Dr Andrew Kitua, Director General of the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR).
He was taking part in discussing a paper titled ’’Epidemiology Of Opportunistic Infections and Related Conditions In HIV Infected People In Muheza District In Tanga Region.’’
The paper was presented by Dr Acleus Rutta of NIMR, Amani branch in Tanga at a dissemination workshop on HIV/Aids on Monday.
Dr Rutta said a research he had conducted in Muheza District to determine among other things, the prevalence rate of HIV/Aids in the district had revealed there were more couples infected with the disease than single men/women categories.
’’And this is also the case with related diseases like oral candidiasis and pulmonary TB. These diseases create a conducive environment for HIV/Aids infection,’’ he said.
Another participant warned that experts have to be careful when interpreting data lest they would send the wrong signals to the pubic.
’’The interpretation presented here does not reflect the situation on the ground. If these findings are disseminated, then we will not be telling the public the truth,’’ said Januaris Soko from Morogoro.
A participant from TAMWA concurred with Dr Rutta.
She said a survey conducted by her organisation last year in Temeke, Ilala and Kinondoni Districts in Dar es Salaam had revealed that about 30 per cent of house girls had admitted slept with their male employers.
’’We think this could lead to married people being more infected with HIV/Aids as the house girls have other lovers …. such husbands could easily transmit the disease to their wives,’’ she said.
However, a representative from Bakwata wanted to know if the organisation had done a similar survey to determine the relationship between houseboys and their female employers.
He said it was wrong to hold husbands responsible for transmitting the disease without conducting a similar research to determine the role of their wives.
Another participant cited employment conditions as behind the high rate of infection among married people.
’’I work in Dar es Salaam but my husband works in Tanga, for example. Given this situation it is easy for either of us to be unfaithful and so contract the disease’’ she said.
Earlier, when officially opening the workshop, NIMR Director General had noted that research work is useless if the knowledge generated does not reach the concerned populations.
’’Knowledge must be packaged and provided in a way that the public at large will be attracted to,’’ he said.
The workshop that started on Monday ends on Wednesday and has drawn about 100 participants including medical doctors, pharmacists, researchers, policy makers, decision makers, media and ordinary people.
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