| Buddhism, the status of women and the spread of HIV/AIDS in Thailand. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 15764460 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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The common-sense construction of Buddhism is that of a general power for good; the less positive aspects of Buddhism's power, especially when reinforced by folklore and ancient superstition, is infrequently recognised. In this article we make explicit Buddhism's less positive power, particularly as it relates to the status of women and, by implication, its role in the human immunodeficiency (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in Thailand. The Buddhist, folklore, and superstitious bases of Thai misogyny are explored, together with its expression in the differential gender roles of women and men. In addition, the attitudes of both women and men to commercial sex workers (CSWs) and condom use is discussed. The implications of these attitudinal analyses to the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in Thailand is outlined. We argue that the current spread of HIV/AIDS in Thailand is primarily a function of the inferior status of women, which, in turn, is a function of Buddhism and Thai cultural beliefs. In light of this, some realistic strategies to address the problem also are discussed. |
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Authors:
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Areewan Klunklin; Jennifer Greenwood |
Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Review |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Health care for women international Volume: 26 ISSN: 0739-9332 ISO Abbreviation: Health Care Women Int Publication Date: 2005 Jan |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2005-03-14 Completed Date: 2005-03-29 Revised Date: 2005-11-16 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 8411543 Medline TA: Health Care Women Int Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 46-61 Citation Subset: N |
Affiliation:
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Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. areewan@mail.nurse.cmu.ac.th |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Attitude to Health
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ethnology Buddhism* Condoms / utilization* Cultural Characteristics Female HIV Infections / epidemiology*, ethnology, prevention & control Health Promotion / standards Humans Incidence Interpersonal Relations Male Prostitution / ethnology, statistics & numerical data* Risk Factors Social Environment Social Perception* Thailand Women's Health* / ethnology |
| Comments/Corrections | |
Comment In:
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Health Care Women Int. 2005 Aug;26(7):622-6; author reply 627-8
[PMID:
16126604
]
Health Care Women Int. 2005 May;26(5):458-9 [PMID: 16020011 ] |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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