Making better men
Living with AIDS # 193

KHOPOTSO: As part of its core functions the Men as Partners network works to reduce the spread and impact of HIV and AIDS as well as male perpetrated violence against women. It does this by challenging traditional gender roles that increase men and women’€™s vulnerability to HIV and by emphasizing the values of respect and equality. Dumisani Rebombo is co-ordinator of the Hillbrow chapter of Men as Partners, based within the Esselen Street Clinic under Engender Health and Wits University’€™s Reproductive Health Research Unit.

DUMISANI REBOMBO: Hillbrow is like Africa condensed together. You find many people from different parts of Africa. And also, it’€™s not static ‘€“ people move in and out’€¦ There’€™s a lot of health issues. Domestic violence is rife. A study that was done by the Wits Medical School shows that Hillbrow is one of the areas where you find a lot of domestic violence and HIV infection, especially amongst the younger people. The other problem is street-children. It is said that there are about 500 – 250 from Hillbrow and 250 from Braamfontein, which is very, very near to Hillbrow. There’€™s commercial sex workers; there’€™s gay people or men who just have sex with men ‘€“ not necessarily being gay.  

KHOPOTSO: Rebombo says the Men as Partners programme is founded on the premise that men drive the growth of the HIV epidemic, and therefore men need to be encouraged to change their behaviour in order to build healthy relationships.

DUMISANI REBOMBO: We know that studies have shown that it is most men that would have multiple sexual partners. Let’€™s talk around those issues. Let’€™s invite the men to test for HIV. There are VCT services rendered at the clinic and many other surrounding clinics and hospitals around. Once someone knows their HIV status the chances are they will start thinking on how they could live positively – and we need to teach that. So, from that that would be helping their woman counterpart around issues of prevention, support and care. But also, if you go to any hospice you wouldn’€™t find men rendering home-based care to other men, not even other women. So, let’€™s teach men that this is not a woman’€™s thing. This is all about caring and helping. And as a man I can care like any other human being.

KHOPOTSO: The project puts more emphasis on providing practical advice and information as opposed to merely reciting the ABC method of HIV prevention.

DUMISANI REBOMBO: Contrary to say, for instance, handing out condoms and saying ‘€˜prevent STI’€™s and HIV’€™ the Men as Partners programme would talk about issues of coercion. What is coercion? What do you understand about consent? Before a sexual act there should be consent because if there isn’€™t, hey, it’€™s rape. So, therefore empower whoever you’€™re talking to with skills. For instance, the ABC methods of prevention are great worldwide, but if we don’€™t teach young men, even young women, or anybody that comes to our door how to abstain, (to) be faithful, (to) have safe sex – you see, immediately people think condoms when you talk safe sex – there are many African traditional ways of utilising safer sex. Non-penetration , for instance, is a form of safe sex. People aren’€™t taught those things. So, it is our call to talk about those things and give people skills on how to go about them.

KHOPOTSO: Besides its focus on HIV, the programme aims to influence men’€™s attitudes to seeking medical assistance as well as finding solutions to problems that exist in the health sector when it comes to caring for men.

DUMISANI REBOMBO: First of all, within the Esselen Clinic we are looking at: Are there gaps within the clinic? Are there gaps in terms of things that might deter men coming into the clinic to be able to get reproductive health services. And if there are those, then let’€™s address them. So, we aim to hold training with the staff. There are issues of xenophobia, we hear. Not at the clinic, but in the neighbouring hospitals. Are they there? Are they happening? And how do people deal with them? Some of these things people have to unlearn if they are there’€¦ We want every man to feel that the services or the clinic is user-friendly because research has shown that the health centres were geared towards helping more women than men. For instance, personally, I had to take to a maternity ward and I was stopped to go inside because it was said ‘€˜you can’€™t go in there. You’€™re the man.’€™ And this was my wife and I wanted to support her. So, yes, we want to address issues like that.

E-mail: Khopotso Bodibe

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