KAIS 2007 1 - Kenya National AIDS & STI Control Programme ...

7.6. Attitudes toward women’s roles in sexual decision makingIn the 2007 KAIS, women had a significantly greater HIV infection rate than men (8.4% vs. 5.4%,respectively). An important component of a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy is to ensure thatwomen are empowered within their sexual relationships to help reduce the risk of HIV acquisition andtransmission. This section explores women’s and men’s attitudes toward the power women have tomake decisions about their sexual relationships. These analyses included all respondents, regardless oftesting history or reported HIV status.Responses to the following four specific statements were used to assess attitudes toward women’sroles in sexual decision making:• A wife is justified in refusing to have sex with her husband if she knows he has a sexuallytransmitted disease;• A wife is justified in asking her husband to use a condom when she knows he has a sexuallytransmitted disease;• A wife is justified in refusing to have sex with her husband if she knows he has sex with otherwomen; and• A wife is justified in refusing to have sex with her husband if she is tired or not in the mood.Figure 7.6a Attitudes toward negotiating safer sex among women and men aged 15-64years, Kenya 2007.WomenMenIf a wife knows her husband has adisease that she can get duringsexual intercourse, is she justified inrefusing to have sex with him?82.886.7If a wife knows her husband has adisease that she can get duringsexual intercourse, is she justified inasking that theyuse a condom whenthey have sex?78.282.4Is a wife justified in refusing to havesex with her husband when sheknows her husband has sex withother women?76.479.9Is a wife justified in refusing to havesex with her husband when she istired or not in the mood?59.966.50 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95Percent (%)Figure 7.6a The majority of women and men believed that a wife is justified in refusing sexunder specific circumstances.KAIS 2007 134