Abstract

A study was carried out to determine factors related to food and nutrition security that predispose the youth to contracting the HIV/AIDS virus in a rural setting. The study involved observations and use of participatory rural appraisal and participatory and learning action tools. Specifically, key-informant interviews and focus group discussions with the youth and some selected elders in the area were used. The results indicate that most of the youth are ‘caught’ up in a subsistence mode because of lack of access to markets. Furthermore, the female youths’ attempts to penetrate the markets are at the expense of trading with sexual favours with the gatekeepers. These results have two implications. First, the males are caught up in the rural life, which forces them to participate in some cultural practices, which have a high risk of spreading the HIV/AIDS virus. Secondly, the females while also having the same risk, are damned if they remain in the rural areas and are damned if they attempt to leave to participate in the urban areas. The results suggest that improved markets at the international level have potential of opening up markets at country level which could trickle down to the youth and thereby reducing the risk emanating from cultural practices or having to sexually-trade their way into the market

Published in

Publisher: Africa Rice Centre (WARDA)

Conference

Regional workshop on HIV/AIDS and Agriculture: Implications for Food Security in West and Central Africa

SLU Authors

• Karltun, Linley Chiwona

  • Department of Rural Development and Agroecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Food Science


Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/7465