In a correspondence published in The Lancet, Brown School faculty and colleagues highlight the critical need for Ugandan women to negotiate sexual conditions, such as refusing sex or asking for condom use, to improve reproductive health outcomes. The authors point to cultural norms that reinforce male dominance and female submission in relationships as a significant factor contributing to young women’s vulnerability to HIV in Uganda. The country has one of the highest HIV burdens, especially among young women, driven by entrenched patriarchal systems and rigid gender roles. The correspondence was co-authored by Josephine Nabayinda, Research Assistant Professor Samuel Kizito, Anita Nagawa, and Professor Fred Ssewamala of the Brown School’s International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD).
“The cultural norms that sanction unequal power dynamics in relationships; unjustly acknowledge male sexual freedom over female autonomy; restrict women’s mobility; and reinforce female submission to their partners’ sexual needs; exacerbate this vulnerability.”
Josephine Nabayinda, Professor Samuel Kizito, Anita Nagawa, and Professor Fred Ssewamala