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Serodiscordance and Gender Dynamics in Indian Culture

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Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Couples with Mixed HIV Status: Beyond Positive/Negative

Part of the book series: Social Aspects of HIV ((SHIV,volume 2))

Abstract

India is a land of old traditions and values which are upheld by its people. These values include many prescriptions and proscriptions relating to sexual conduct, which govern the lives of the vast majority of Indians. However, modernity provokes inevitable changes and schisms in these values, resulting in behaviours that may not align with expected norms. It is within this context that this chapter explores the cultural dynamics shaping serodiscordant relationships in a strongly gendered society like India, where HIV infection is considered immoral and is highly stigmatised. Specifically, the chapter focuses on the role of women, which is structured around strong gender norms that present marriage as sacrosanct, childbearing as obligatory, and care as a feminine duty. Seen through this prism, the chapter identifies both the challenges and resilience behind serodiscordant living.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    In Indian traditions, brahmacharya is the first of four age-related life stages (ashrama); the stage of learning and celibacy. In a spiritual context, the impetus behind brahmacharya is the salvation of the soul through the control of sexual energies and renunciation of worldly pleasures.

  2. 2.

    Hijra is recognized as a third gender by the Indian Government. The vast majority of hijras were born with male physiology.

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Acknowledgments

Completing a work of such intricacies would not have been possible without the constant encouragement that my guide Professor R.B.S. Verma provided. I am thankful to him for his tremendous trust in me. I’m also indebted to Dr Gulalia who inspired me to initiate this work and provided much guidance. My sincere gratitude to the head of my institution Dr. G.K. Arora for his undaunted support. Thanks also to my statistician Professor B.S. Nagi who taught me a lot. This work would not have happened without constant support of Delhi State AIDS Control Society, especially Dr J.K. Mishra who helped in many ways. The directors and project managers of Targeted intervention projects, including but not limited to Mr Sanjeev Sheel from Anchal and his staff; Mrs Doe Nair from Chelsea and her staff, especially Ms Manju Manak; Mr Rajeev Shaw of Sharan, Project manager and staff of Bhartiya Parivardhan Sanstha, Sukhad Yatra, Ma Ratni, SOSVA, Kalyan for providing a conducive environment for conducting confidential interviews. My gratitude to DNP+ and INP+ especially Mr K.K. Abraham, Ms Celina Decosta and Mr S. Jana, the pioneer of Sona Gachi project for their valuable input during my research. Lastly, understanding the lived experiences of positive persons would not have been possible without the trust they showed in me. Many of them are not alive anymore to see the product of their inputs, but the gratitude I have for them will never die.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Work, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India

    Sangeeta Sharma Dhaor

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  1. Sangeeta Sharma Dhaor
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Correspondence to Sangeeta Sharma Dhaor .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Asha Persson

  2. Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA

    Shana D. Hughes

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Dhaor, S.S. (2017). Serodiscordance and Gender Dynamics in Indian Culture. In: Persson, A., Hughes, S. (eds) Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Couples with Mixed HIV Status: Beyond Positive/Negative. Social Aspects of HIV, vol 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42725-6_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42725-6_15

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