Psychological and socio-cultural effects of forced and coerced sterilization of women living with HIV (WLHIV) in Namibia: Implications for intervention
type: CreativeWork
description: The forced and coerced sterilisation of women living with HIV (WLHIV) is one of the serious forms of fundamental human rights violations, which has occurred, the world over. In Namibia, cases of forced and coerced sterilisation were first reported in 2007 to 2008. With the support of civil society organisations; these cases have gone through litigation. The litigation of Namibia‟s forced and coerced sterilisation cases has been successful and considered a best practice, with the courts ordering financial compensation for the victims. Yet, aspects of the well-being of the victims have not been fully addressed. This research aimed to explore and obtain an in-depth understanding of the psychological and socio-cultural effects of forced and coerced sterilisation on WLHIV in Namibia, in order to ascertain the implications for further intervention. A qualitative approach was applied, using semi-structured interview schedules to acquire comprehensive information on the experiences of seven research participants residing in the Khomas region of Namibia. Content analysis was carried out, and results indicated negative psychological and socio-cultural effects on the lives of research participants following forced sterilisation. The themes that emerged from the findings include psychological symptoms that are usually associated with anxiety and depression. Symptoms of depression comprised: withdrawal, overthinking or ruminating, feelings of helplessness, feelings of hopelessness, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of sadness, anger, sleep disturbance, change in weight, loss of interest, self-blame and shame. Symptoms of anxiety included fear and uneasiness, sleep disturbance, persistent anxious and stressful feelings. Additionally, the themes of negative health effects and poor state health care services, gender-based violence, discrimination, victimisation and unemployment emerged. It was noted that cultural principles and values regarding reproduction, marriage and decision…
abstract: The forced and coerced sterilisation of women living with HIV (WLHIV) is one of the serious forms of fundamental human rights violations, which has occurred, the world over. In Namibia, cases of forced and coerced sterilisation were first reported in 2007 to 2008. With the support of civil society organisations; these cases have gone through litigation. The litigation of Namibia‟s forced and coerced sterilisation cases has been successful and considered a best practice, with the courts ordering financial compensation for the victims. Yet, aspects of the well-being of the victims have not been fully addressed. This research aimed to explore and obtain an in-depth understanding of the psychological and socio-cultural effects of forced and coerced sterilisation on WLHIV in Namibia, in order to ascertain the implications for further intervention. A qualitative approach was applied, using semi-structured interview schedules to acquire comprehensive information on the experiences of seven research participants residing in the Khomas region of Namibia. Content analysis was carried out, and results indicated negative psychological and socio-cultural effects on the lives of research participants following forced sterilisation. The themes that emerged from the findings include psychological symptoms that are usually associated with anxiety and depression. Symptoms of depression comprised: withdrawal, overthinking or ruminating, feelings of helplessness, feelings of hopelessness, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of sadness, anger, sleep disturbance, change in weight, loss of interest, self-blame and shame. Symptoms of anxiety included fear and uneasiness, sleep disturbance, persistent anxious and stressful feelings. Additionally, the themes of negative health effects and poor state health care services, gender-based violence, discrimination, victimisation and unemployment emerged. It was noted that cultural principles and values regarding reproduction, marriage and decision…
author: Bakare, Kudzai
language: en
keywords: Sterilisation, HIV
date published: 2018
date modified: 2026-07-27T20:21:49Z
provider: University of Namibia
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Namibia

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11070/2275