GENDER INEQUITIES IN ACCESSING HEALTH CARE AMONG PERSONS LIVING WITH HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS AT KYANGYENYI HEALTH CENTER III SHEEMA, UGANDA.
BEINOMUGASHO CHRISTINE
, AMANYIRE JORDAN , WASWA BRIGT LABAN
Key words: HIV/AIDS healthcare access, gender inequities in HIV/AID, Equity of HIV/AIDS services, women empowerment in HIV
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Ensuring healthcare access is critical to maintain health and prevent illness. Prior studies demonstrate gender disparities in healthcare access [1]. Less is known about how these vary with age, race/ethnicity, and gender status. Despite the documented benefits of accessing HIV/AID health care among people living with HIV/AIDS, HMIS reports indicate that significant proportion of a third of people living with HIV/AIDS at Kyangyenyi health centre III do not obtain regular healthcare, 30% of HIV clients at Kyangyenyi Heath centre III have missed their scheduled appointments in the last two quarters [2]. The study sought to establish the relationship between gender inequities and accessibility to HIV /AIDS health care among people accessing HIV health care, it also involved examine gender inequities among people living with HIV in accessing HIV care as well as assess accessibility of HIV/AIDS health care among people living with HIV.
Methods: An accessibility analysis was conducted to identify the proportion of people leaving with HIV who have missed an appointment due to gender roles. Data was collected form Kyangyenyi Health Center III and the study participants were selected using purposive sampling. Then data was analyzed using STATA vr1. 18 to explore the relationship between gender inequities and access to HIV health care.
Results: Regarding gender inequities, 61.5% of participants reported the presence of gender inequities in HIV care at Kyangyenyi Health Center III, with 91.7% agreeing that a woman’s primary role is domestic and 53.2% perceiving that women’s symptoms are more likely to be dismissed by providers. HIV/AIDS healthcare accessibility showed that, although mean accessibility scores did not significantly differ between males and females (t = 1.34, p = 0.183), 60.3% reported restrictions on healthcare autonomy and 31.4% had personally experienced service inequity. The relationship between gender inequities and healthcare access showed that gender equity attitudes and higher education levels significantly predicted better healthcare access (OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.09–4.24, p = 0.027), while gender itself was not a statistically significant predictor after controlling for sociodemographic factors.
Conclusion and Recommendations: The results of the study concludes that gender inequities, particularly those related to autonomy, education, and perceptions of fairness, significantly influence access to HIV/AIDS healthcare services among people living with HIV. While no significant gender difference was found in missed appointments or general accessibility scores, individuals with positive attitudes toward gender equity and those with higher education were more likely to access care. The study recommends that healthcare policies and programs to prioritize gender-sensitive interventions to reduce gender inequities and improve HIV/AIDS healthcare access. These should include community sensitization on gender equality, integration of gender equity training for healthcare providers, and support mechanisms that empower women in healthcare decision-making.
"GENDER INEQUITIES IN ACCESSING HEALTH CARE AMONG PERSONS LIVING WITH HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS AT KYANGYENYI HEALTH CENTER III SHEEMA, UGANDA.", IJSDR - International Journal of Scientific Development and Research (www.IJSDR.org), ISSN:2455-2631, Vol.10, Issue 9, page no.b297-b315, September-2025, Available :https://ijsdr.org/papers/IJSDR2509137.pdf
Volume 10
Issue 9,
September-2025
Pages : b297-b315
Paper Reg. ID: IJSDR_304972
Published Paper Id: IJSDR2509137
Downloads: 00069
Research Area: Medical Science All
Country: Mbarara, Uganda, Uganda
ISSN: 2455-2631 | IMPACT FACTOR: 9.15 Calculated By Google Scholar | ESTD YEAR: 2016
An International Scholarly Open Access Journal, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journal Impact Factor 9.15 Calculate by Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool, Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Multilanguage Journal Indexing in All Major Database & Metadata, Citation Generator
Publisher: IJSDR(IJ Publication) Janvi Wave
