Gender And/or Sexuality: A Wild Card In The Health Sector

Oleh Admin 21 Des, 2023 Posting Komentar

“The biologist sees hormones; the epidemiologist the risk factors; and the sociologist the social role and structural limitations.”

When we talk about gender inequalities and biases in healthcare, do we see them as problems that need to be addressed and resolved? Or do we simply use them as programs or political tools?

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) worldwide. Although HPV infection can cause cervical cancer in women, it is of particular concern for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HPV is more persistent and difficult to treat when associated with HIV.

In the United Kingdom, the comprehensive public health service of the National Health Service (NHS) included three categories of people who would receive the HPV vaccine: 1) children aged 12 to 13 years; 2) men under 45 years of age who have sexual relations with men; and 3) "Other" individuals at higher risk of becoming infected with HPV. According to a recent fact sheet from the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 625,600 women and 69,400 men worldwide develop HPV-related cancer each year. So I wonder why women are not one of the key populations prioritized by the NHS when they are most vulnerable.

The latest HPV vaccination campaign was recently launched in Bangladesh. This is in line with the WHO's goal to fully vaccinate 90% of 15-year-old girls by 2030 as part of the global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer. There is also an increased risk of HPV infection for people living with HIV (PLHIV). But during the vaccination campaign, men and boys were not included in the target group.

In 2021, 8,761 cases of AIDS were detected in Bangladesh and 1,588 of these patients died. In 2021, at least 729 new cases of AIDS were detected in the country and 188 patients died from AIDS. Of them, approximately 26% were from the general population, 20% were immigrants, 8% were intravenous drug users, 26% were Rohingya refugees and nine percent were. The percentage were MSM (men who have sex with men), 7% were sex workers, 2% were members of the transgender community, and 2% were sex workers.

The same thing also happened in neighboring India. Cervical and anal cancer caused by HPV types 16 and 18 can now be prevented with the bivalent Cervarix vaccine and the quadrivalent Gardasil vaccine (which also covers HPV types 6 and 11). In India, both Cervarix and Gardasil are approved for use in women. In the United States, Gardasil is also now approved for use in boys and men between the ages of 11 and 26. But the HPV vaccine is not yet approved for men and boys in India.

The epidemiology of human papillomavirus in women is well documented, while less is known about the epidemiology of HPV in men. According to a recent study from The Lancet Global Health, nearly one in three men worldwide is infected with at least one type of genital HPV, and about one in five men is infected with one or more high-risk HPV types. . Research shows that HPV prevalence is high in men over 15 years of age and that sexually active men represent a significant reservoir of genital HPV infections, regardless of age.

Baca Juga

We often tend to highlight gender inequalities in healthcare and present women as victims of these irregularities. We often forget that power, politics and gender are closely related to geography; We often overlook the power of geopolitics. It reminded me of Foucault's wonderful work on power. Michel Foucault spoke of "normalizing power" (with "normal" being the key word), that is, the power that determines what we consider normal and constructs our vision of the world and ourselves. In this way, it shapes our beliefs and decisions and gives us the idea that they are our own beliefs. This normalizing power ensures that we do not steal or commit violent acts (unlike repressive power) and that we do what institutions tell us. With such power, we often fail to question obvious differences.

To return to the original question, we must ask ourselves why the results for the same phenomenon differ so exponentially in the West and in the countries of the South. In the spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals, “leaving no one behind” means a holistic approach rather than a “selective equality” tactic.

S Arzooman Chowdhury is a master's student at the University of Cambridge.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.

Follow The Daily Star Opinion on Facebook for the latest opinions, commentary and analysis from experts and professionals. If you would like to submit your article or letter to Daily Star Opinion, please see our submission guidelines.