Namibian Women and their Sexual Health

I picked this topic because I am not only passionate about the rights of women, but especially those that pertain to sexuality and reproductivity. I also picked this article because the issue is being investigated by Northeastern Law school as cases in which the human rights of women's sexuality and reproductivity were being violated. I plan on going to law school in order to work in the civil rights division as a prosecutor.

This issue is particularly important because women in Namibia with HIV have been enduring medical discrimination and inhibited rights to their reproductive and sexual health. In one particular instance, a woman giving birth, afflicted with HIV, was denied medical assistance from nurses and doctors because they feared catching the disease. "No one wanted to touch me," said one woman describing her birthing experience at the hospital (Harvard Law School's International Human Rights Clinic, 2)".

Namibian women afflicted with HIV who also interviewed for the case reported forced or coerced sterilization by medical officials because of their HIV. There was an inherent disregard to inform these women of the processes of sterilization as well as the risks and effects that it posed. In some of the cases, these women were told false and fictitious information as well as extremely vague concepts to where their understanding of sterilization, abortion, contraceptives and pregnancy was hindered.

Based on theories we have discussed in class, it sounds like the government is involved in Neopatrimonialism with the healthcare system. The president, Hifikepunye Pohamba, and the rest of the government have been fully aware of the sexual and reproductive rights being violated amongst HIV afflicted women since 2008 (HLSIHRC, 2). In my opinion, the government has obviously taken over the healthcare system and is probably violating these women's rights in order to reduce the number of HIV afflicted individuals. Rather than spend more funding on preventative education, HIV medication, and general healthcare,  I believe the government is increasing the salaries of these corrupt medical officials in order for them to force and coerce sterilization among these women to keep the rates of HIV on a decreasing level rather than increasing. What could potentially happen, is that the healthcare system's corruption could become more widespread in regards to other issues beyond women's reproductive and sexual human rights. The corruption could expand to: refusal of HIV treatment amongst homosexual men and women, rape victims, forceful or coerced sterilization of HIV afflicted homosexual men, improper information given to homosexuals, etc. all in order to keep the rates of HIV low.

The policymakers should revoke the licenses of all the medical officials involved in these heinous crimes against the violated women. Not only that, but the policymakers should create explicit laws that require the medical officials to give elaborate and correct information to these women about their sexual/reproductive health,  human rights, the process of sterilization, abortion, pregnancy, and any other topics of health that pertain to specifically HIV afflicted women.

"Namibian Women Living with HIV Report Violations of Sexual and Reproductive Rights." Namibian Women Living with HIV Report Violations of Sexual and Reproductive Rights. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2012. <http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/2012/07/30_ihrc-namibian-health-care-report.html>.