Community Health Nurses
Promoting Awareness to Indo-Canadian Women
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Goal: “Promote emancipatory action to help oppressed and disenfranchised women gain freedom from the people, ideology, or situations that keep them oppressed.” (Kendall, 1992)
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Prevention methods recommending abstinence, being faithful and using a male condom don't work since they are dependent on men who usually bring the virus into the home to Indian women (Machel & Cravero, 2004) In order to empower women to take control of their own circumstances, instead of having to rely on male cooperation and their promiscuous behaviours, teach women strategies to avoid HIV/AIDS by having female-controlled HIV prevention methods such as: appropriate use of female condoms and microbicides -- gels, sponges and time-released suppositories. It is known that Indo-Canadian women do visit India frequently. By using opportune times such as women gathering in temples and other religious places, we can educate the Indo-Canadian women. This gives an opportunity for the Nurse Practitioner and/or the Community Health Nurse to promote these women’s awareness around the prevalence of this issue in India. Women Leaders can also help spread the awareness to large groups for women to be given the right to negotiate safe sex. Preventative measures in acquiring the virus, can be addressed in posters in Punjabi, Hindi, and other Indian languages can be posted at gathering places for Indo-Canadian women; health care centers, and clinics. To reduce the stigma of discussion of HIV/AIDS, and to promote women to come, the wording to attract women to attend the focus groups should be ‘health clinic’. The goal is to promote the awareness of this issue. Informing Indo-Canadian women of the increased prevalence of HIV/AIDS in India can promote them to utilize sexual precautionary measures to protect themselves. For example, when women or men go back to India to get married, they may not be aware of the disease in their future spouse because they do not inquire or do not expect anyone they would interact with to be infected with the virus. Especially, as you know the women are not allowed to question the man or his family. The government policy of India states: ‘No individual should be made to undergo mandatory testing for HIV.’ (avert.org, n.d.). To this issue, it could mean challenging some long-standing customs and traditions, reforming outdated legal systems. We as CHN’s can advocate for a mandatory blood test to screen for HIV/AIDS to help prevent spread of it. This prevents putting the women in a place where they do not feel comfortable in regards to questioning their spouse. (Karie Atkinson, 2004) Nurses should be sensitive to the women who are living with HIV/AIDS. These women may be stigmatized and discriminated against which may result in isolation from the loss of family support, and the potential or dependency on the nurse for emotional support, foster environments that respect different languages in India, religion, age, and teach accordingly with a number of health professionals for collective action. (Unaids, 2004)  |
[Statistics] [Religion and Government] [Ideologies] [Education]
[Promoting Awareness] [References]