ARTICLE CRITIQUE

Article Critique

Article Critique

Introduction

Women's health in the international context exists within a global context of significant inequities between geographic regions that leave some poor countries with a significantly disproportionate burden of disease. According to the 2007 World Health Report, from the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.1 billion people live without access to clean water, and 2.6 billion people live without access to proper sanitation. One measurable impact of these social conditions is a daily death rate of 4,500 children under 5 years old from diseases that are easily preventable. Women in particular experience the impacts of these social deficiencies more than their male counterparts because of the gender inequities that exist in most societies across the world. Nevertheless, globally on average, women's life expectancy at birth is 4.3 years more than that of men. This entry discusses the leading issues in women's health globally, including interpersonal and other violence, mental health, reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS. This paper presents the critique of the article Women's Lives After an HIV-Positive Diagnosis: Disclosure and Violence, written by Gielen, Andrea Carlson; McDonnell, Karen A.; Burke, Jessica G.; and O'Campo, Patricia and published in Maternal and Child Health Journal (Vol. 4, No. 2).

Article Critique

First of all let me mention that gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behavior, activities, and attributes that are assigned to men and women in a society. Biological and social differences between men and women are responsible for differences in health status between the two. Gender affects the health of both men and women, but the discrimination that women experience in almost all cultures has a negative impact on their health that is evidenced by inequities in health status between women and their male peers. Gender norms and values in most cultures result in women having access to less resources and power than men. This gives men more influence in economic, education, and political spheres and also in health care. Women's health therefore receives less resources and attention. The factors that most influence the lower health status of women include poverty, lower rates of education, and unequal power relationships between men and women that favor men, and these factors influence their access and utilization of health care services, which results in barriers to achieving and maintaining health.

Gielen, et al (2000) mentions gender violence is a significant factor in the gender inequities experienced by girls and women. According to the WHO, between 10 percent and 69 percent of women report experiencing violence at the hands of an intimate partner at some point in their lives. Between 6 percent and 47 percent report being sexually assaulted by an intimate partner in their lifetimes, and between 7 percent and 48 percent of girls and young women age 10 to 24 years report that their first sexual encounter was coerced. Female genital mutilation can also be considered to be violence against girls and young women.

According to WHO, gender violence and HIV/AIDS are two key factors that impact women's health that are not sufficiently addressed by ...