What Works for Women and Girls

Gaps in Programming—Women Prisoners and Female Partners of Male Prisoners1. Interventions are needed to provide prisoners with prevention information andcondoms for at least conjugal visits.2. Stemming the rate of incarceration may reduce HIV transmission.1. Interventions are needed to provide prisoners with prevention information and condomsfor at least conjugal visits. A study found that prisoners did not have basic information onhow condom use reduces likelihood of HIV transmission.Gap noted, for example, in Nicaragua (Montero, 2008).2. Stemming the rate of incarceration may reduce HIV transmission. A study found thatpromoting alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders might reduce HIVtransmission.Gap noted globally (Maru et al., 2007).4D. Prevention for Key Affected Populations:Women and Girls in Complex EmergenciesSpecial consideration must be given to HIV prevention strategies in conflict situations.In northern Uganda, for example, “physical and structural violence (political repression,economic inequality, and gender-based discrimination) increase vulnerability to HIV infection.In settings of war, traditional HIV prevention that solely promotes risk avoidance andrisk reduction and assumes the existence of personal choiceinadequately addresses the realities of HIV transmission.“As of 2008, approximately1.8 million people living with HIVwere also affected by conflict,disaster or displacement,representing 5.4% of the globalnumber of people living with HIV”(Lowicki-Zucca et al., 2008).The design of HIV prevention strategies…must recognizehow HIV transmission occurs and the factors thatput people at risk for infection. A human rights approachprovides a viable model for achieving this aim” (Westerhauset al., 2007).The actual prevalence of HIV in areas of conflict is difficultto assess. Reliable information is likely to be unavailableduring times of civil conflict and under repressive andhostile governments (Beyrer et al., 2007). There are insufficientdata to make any conclusions about prevalence in people who are internally displacedand a review of survey data from seven countries affected by conflict—Democratic RepublicWHAT WORKS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS103