The ICWEA study titled “Violations of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) of Women living with HIV in Clinical and Community Settings in Uganda” shows violation of a wide range of sexual reproductive health rights of women living with HIV. The study found that the most experienced violation is forced and/or coerced sterilization. Having given the demographic characteristic of the study and its findings, we will now share stories of women living with HIV who have faced coerced and/or coerced sterilization.
I have one child, I did not suggest sterilization
I was sterilized in 1999 at the age of 29 from a private clinic. My husband, from whom I separated, took me to a clinic for medical care. He told me that the doctor in that clinic was good and would cure the persistent abdominal pains I had. I used to hear from healthy talks about sterilization, it wasn’t new to me but I was shocked to learn that it was done to me. No mother of one kid can ever suggest sterilization. I started imagining whether my husband might have been behind it. May be he had already found out that he was HIV positive and decided to malice me. During those days if you were HIV-positive you were not allowed to give birth but today things have improved and much has changed. That is how it all came about. I wish it had not happened to me, I would give birth to another child. Since it hurts me, what about that child who is lonely, with no brother or sister? What about my current husband? I’ve not been able to give him a child. This situation equally affects both my child and my husband. I can’t deny the obvious; it keeps on traumatizing me; however, I cannot do anything about it,” Rita Mulondo
Note: For purposes of confidentiality, all names used under this section are pseudonym names
For more cases in the report check: http://www.icwea.org/2015/11/report-violation-of-sexual-and-reproductive-health-rights-of-women-living-with-hiv-in-clinical-and-community-settings-in-uganda/
