Marvellous Mhloyi - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Marvellous Mhloyi

PubMed, 2014

(1) As of 2011, 38% of young Zimbabwean women have had sex by age 18, as have 23% of young men; t... more (1) As of 2011, 38% of young Zimbabwean women have had sex by age 18, as have 23% of young men; this difference has widened over time. Females now first have sex nearly two years sooner than males. (2) One-quarter of 15-19-year-old women have started childbearing; one-third of all births to adolescents are unplanned (wanted later or not at all). (3) Favorable trends of rising modern contraceptive use in urban areas were likely interrupted by the worst of the economic crisis in 2008. Use among married adolescents declined in urban areas (from 50% in 2006 to 29% in 2011), even as it rose in rural areas (from 30% to 37%). (4) Patterns in unmet need for contraception followed suit: In urban areas, the proportion of married adolescents who wanted to postpone childbearing but were not using a method rose between 2006 and 2011(from 14% to 28%); among their counterparts in rural areas, unmet need fell from 20% to 15% over this period. (5) Single, sexually active adolescents have by far the greatest unmet need--62% as of 2011, compared with 19% among their married counterparts. (6) Existing policies need clarification to assure that no adolescent is illegally denied services because of age. Youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health programs should be prioritized so today’s HIV-positive adolescents, many of whom have been infected since birth, do not transmit the virus to yet another generation.

Routledge eBooks, Nov 27, 2020

As the AIDS epidemic in Africa assumes major proportions, the need to understand the social conte... more As the AIDS epidemic in Africa assumes major proportions, the need to understand the social context in which heterosexual transmission occurs takes on urgent importance. In this article we explore how the intersection of traditional culture with the colonial legacy and present-day political economy has influenced family structure and sexual relations, and particularly the social position of women. Drawing on Zimbabwe's historical experience, we show how land expropriation, rural impoverishment, and the forcible introduction of male migrant labor fostered new patterns of sexual relations, characterized by multiple partners. Traditional patriarchal values reinterpreted in European law resulted in further subjugation of women as even limited rights to ownership were withdrawn. For many women, sexual relations with men, either within marriage (for the majority) or outside, become inextricably linked to economic and social survival. In this setting, all sexually transmitted diseases became rampant, including genital ulcer, which facilitates transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Intervention programs to halt the spread of AIDS need to take into the account the epidemic's historical roots and social nature. For example, efforts to reduce risk of HIV transmission should seek to expand women's limited options, both technically (e.g., by providing alternatives to condoms) and socially (e.g., by promoting employment). The AIDS epidemic in Africa, first reported in 1983 among patients from Central Africa who sought medical care in European centers (l), has now reached major proportions. In some urban areas, the prevalence of infection by HIV, the human imrnunodeficiency virus, in the adult population is approaching 20 percent (2-4). The burden on health services is already being felt: in Ivory Coast, where the first person witlh AIDS was diagnosed as recently as 1985, over 40 percent of hospitalized patients in the capital city are seropositive (5). Popular concern about the disease reflects these figures. In Uganda, where the wasting syndrome "Slim Disease" was described in the earlly 198Os, a community-based survey found AIDS to be identified as the number one health problem. Affecting young people who have successfully survived the risks of death in early childhood, AIDS is causing deaths in an economically important age group (15 to 45 years) that was previously relatively protected from mortality. Perinatal transmission threatens hard-won gains in the reduction of infant mortality. Though dw,arfed by the big killers-malnutrition and parasitic and bacterial infections-AIDS is having an important and still-evolving effect on health, and poses a substantial threat to present and future generations.

Cogent Social Sciences, May 30, 2022

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an urgent public health priority. It is a neglecte... more Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an urgent public health priority. It is a neglected issue in women's health, especially in urban slums in Nepal and globally. This study was designed to better understand the IPV experienced by young pregnant women in urban slums of the Kathmandu Valley, as well as to identify their coping strategies, care and support seeking behaviours. Womens' views on ways to prevent IPV were also addressed. Methods: 20 young pregnant women from 13 urban slums in the Kathmandu valley were recruited purposively for this qualitative study, based on pre-defined criteria. In-depth interviews were conducted and transcribed, with qualitative content analysis used to analyse the transcripts. Results: 14 respondents were survivors of violence in urban slums. Their intimate partner(s) committed most of the violent acts. These young pregnant women were more likely to experience different forms of violence (psychological, physical and sexual) if they refused to have sex, gave birth to a girl, or if their husband had alcohol use disorder. The identification of foetal gender also increased the experience of physical violence at the prenatal stage. Interference from in-laws prevented further escalation of physical abuse. The most common coping strategy adopted to avoid violence among these women was to tolerate and accept the husbands' abuse because of economic dependence. Violence survivors sought informal support from their close family members. Women suggested multiple short and long term actions to reduce intimate partner violence such as female education, economic independence of young women, banning identification of foetal gender during pregnancy and establishing separate institutions within their community to handle violence against young pregnant women. Conclusions: Diversity in the design and implementation of culturally and socially acceptable interventions might be effective in addressing violence against young pregnant women in humanitarian settings such as urban slums. These include, but are not limited to, treatment of alcohol use disorder, raising men's awareness about pregnancy, addressing young women's economic vulnerability, emphasising the role of health care professionals in preventing adverse consequences resulting from gender selection technologies and working with family members of violence survivors.

AUTHOR(S)= Mazur, RE \ Mhloyi, M. \ Adepoju, A. \ Oppong, C. \ ; PUBLISHER=Currey, London, SOURCE... more AUTHOR(S)= Mazur, RE \ Mhloyi, M. \ Adepoju, A. \ Oppong, C. \ ; PUBLISHER=Currey, London, SOURCE= Gender, work & population in Sub-Saharan AfricaGender, work & population in Sub-Saharan Africaed. by Aderanti Adepoju [and] Christine Oppong, (1994) p. 132 - 156.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2006

Background: Lead is a highly toxic and pervasive metal. Chronic exposure to low levels is respons... more Background: Lead is a highly toxic and pervasive metal. Chronic exposure to low levels is responsible for significant health effects, particularly in children. Prevention remains the best option for reducing childhood lead exposure, however the knowledge, attitudes and practices to lead exposure in many developing countries is not known. Methods: We conducted four focus group discussions (FGD) to evaluate knowledge attitudes and practices to lead exposure in Nigeria. An FGD guide was developed from the literature and preliminary discussion with members of the public. Participants in the FGD were randomly selected from adults living in Ibadan, South Western Nigeria in 2004. Results: We found that there was limited awareness of the sources of lead exposure in the domestic environment and participants had little knowledge of the health effects of chronic lowdose lead exposure. Conclusion: We conclude that the findings of this study should be used, in conjunction with others, to develop appropriate health education intervention for lead exposure in the domestic environment.

Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition

Background The negative consequences of medical professionals’ emigration on the health systems o... more Background The negative consequences of medical professionals’ emigration on the health systems of nations are well documented in the literature. However, there is a dearth of evidence on the impact of emigration in general, on sending households’ welfare, health in particular. This study compared socio-economic characteristics, including health, of emigrants’ households with those of non-emigrants’ households in an urban setting in Harare, Zimbabwe. Methods A cross-sectional survey and focus group discussions were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. Concurrent and retrospective data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The target population were households, both emigrants' households and non-emigrants' households, and the interviewees were de facto heads of the respective households. Results A sample of 279 households was determined; however, 268 heads of households, a response rate of 96%, were achieved. The majority ...

International quarterly of community health education

We assess gender differences in HIV prevention knowledge, attitudes and practices with a focus on... more We assess gender differences in HIV prevention knowledge, attitudes and practices with a focus on cultural, sociological, and economic variables. A randomized cross-sectional study was used in order to achieve high participation and broad comparative assessment. An eight-page questionnaire was administered to 933 randomly selected students at the University of Zimbabwe. Survey items addressed sexual decision-making, condom use, limiting sexual partners, cultural power dynamics and access to HIV testing. We found marked gender differences with men reporting beliefs of entitlement to dominate women, an assumed leadership in decision-making concerning condom use and an attitude that when a woman says "no" to sex, really, "it depends." Women acknowledged gender-based cultural attitudes but are much more likely to support women's rights to sexual expression. A multi-faceted approach to gender equity training is needed to challenge men and women to change attitudes...

Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 1992

PLOS ONE, 2016

Religion affects people's daily lives by solving social problems, although it creates others. Fem... more Religion affects people's daily lives by solving social problems, although it creates others. Female sexual and reproductive health are among the issues most affected by religion. Apostolic sect members in Zimbabwe have been associated with higher maternal mortality. We explored apostolic beliefs and practices on maternal health using 15 key informant interviews in 5 purposively selected districts of Zimbabwe. Results show that apostolicism promotes high fertility, early marriage, non-use of contraceptives and low or non-use of hospital care. It causes delays in recognizing danger signs, deciding to seek care, reaching and receiving appropriate health care. The existence of a customized spiritual maternal health system demonstrates a huge desire for positive maternal health outcomes among apostolics. We conclude that apostolic beliefs and practices exacerbate delays between onset of maternal complications and receiving help, thus increasing maternal risk. We recommend complementary and adaptive approaches that address the maternal health needs of apostolics in a religiously sensitive manner.

The quest for comparative perspective on the role of values and culture in development in African... more The quest for comparative perspective on the role of values and culture in development in African societies continues. If there is one matter that has become clear in the process of putting together the results of this book, it is that there are all sorts of gaps in what we can put together without comprehensive new research. The aim of this section is not to try to summarise the results of each section, but to reflect on where the different inputs have brought us in terms of the research questions posed at the beginning and to reflect on the current limitations and future possibilities of our work. However, we need to elucidate the gaps in what has been possible to do on the basis of the material that is available for comparative research first. The first level of problems emanate from the fact that the research that has been done ever since independence came to Southern African countries has always been dominated by models and theoretical frameworks that are a product of the indus...

JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 1994

Several investigators are preparing to conduct efficacy trials of human immunodeficiency virus (H... more Several investigators are preparing to conduct efficacy trials of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccines in the developing world. Failure to adequately address the unique ethical, behavioral, and social issues that surround vaccine testing in that setting will jeopardize the success of these trials and future acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) research in the host nation. Twelve investigators from Africa, Asia, North America, and South America reviewed previous experience with HIV trials in developing countries and explored potential solutions to these issues. Host country scientists, government officials, and media must be actively involved in all aspects of the trials. Minimum prerequisites for conducting the trial include the following: (1) researching vaccines active against developing world HIV isolates; (2) establishing and maintaining an adequate technological infrastructure; (3) assessing the feasibility of recruitment in countries where the existence of HIV may be denied; (4) designing methods to obtain informed consent from each individual subject, rather than exclusively from family members or community elders; (5) creating locally appropriate instruments to measure risk behavior; (6) identifying a behavioral intervention for placebo and treatment groups; (7) making available laboratory methods to distinguish between natural HIV infection and vaccine-induced seropositivity; and (8) guaranteeing that an effective vaccine is available free of charge to the placebo group and at affordable prices to other host country residents.

12% of Africas AIDS cases reported to the World Health Organization in 1993 were from Zimbabwe. Z... more 12% of Africas AIDS cases reported to the World Health Organization in 1993 were from Zimbabwe. Zimbabwes HIV epidemic trend and pattern are similar to that of other African countries. The number of AIDS deaths is increasing at an alarming pace the average HIV seroprevalence among pregnant women is 20.5% and the average HIV seroprevalence among sexually transmitted disease (STD) patients is approximately 25%. Having such a young population facilitates the spread of HIV through unprotected heterosexual intercourse; 47% of Zimbabwes population is younger than age 15 years. Furthermore migrant work polygyny and the practice of postpartum sexual abstinence all facilitate male intercourse with multiple sex partners a risk factor for contracting and transmitting HIV. The authors explored some of the factors which underlie HIV infection in Zimbabwe in a study conducted in a rural area of Manicaland province East Zimbabwe. Data are presented on the sociocultural determinants of AIDS. The au...

Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 1998

Zimbabwe has experienced a breakdown in traditional social systems as a consequence of “moderniza... more Zimbabwe has experienced a breakdown in traditional social systems as a consequence of “modernization.” Identity formation has to solidify within a cultural tension between the family, whose norms, values, and role expectations are African in general with a Zimbabwean specificity and representing tradition, and the education system and media styled from the western culture. Adolescents depend, to some extent, on themselves as peers to one another. Theoretical resistance to change by the self-perceived custodians of culture has undermined the modeling and social sanctioning of the youth; conflict, confusion and problems confront the adolescents in varying degrees. Effort should be made to build bridges between the different generations and between socialization units—the family, school and the media—to minimize identity problems for the youth.

All African women are directly or indirectly threatened by HIV. Interventions against the spread ... more All African women are directly or indirectly threatened by HIV. Interventions against the spread of HIV must target women differentially with selective services which address the unique problems and needs which each distinct group of women faces. Attention should also be given to protecting not just children who are infected with HIV but children at risk of such infection due to the situations in which they live. Focusing only upon orphans and HIV-infected children may fail to address the dangerous potential spread of HIV/AIDS among other children. HIV and AIDS in African women are discussed in sections on prevailing sociocultural foundations young women women who are wives and mothers women with multiple partners and women as survivors. The consequences of AIDS for African children are then considered in sections on vertical and horizontal transmission and social outcomes for children. The closing section considers preventing infection among African women and children.

Journal of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (Chicago, Ill. : 2002)

This study assessed the nature and extent of sexual risk-taking behavior by students in a Zimbabw... more This study assessed the nature and extent of sexual risk-taking behavior by students in a Zimbabwean university and identified some of the sociocultural factors that facilitate sexual risk taking by female and male students. The main outcome measures of the study were condom use, number of sexual partners, and attitudes toward gender equity and equality. A cross-sectional design was used and a questionnaire was administered to 933 students. Information pertaining to students' sexual practices, condom use practices, attitudes toward HIV testing, and their beliefs pertaining to women's role in sexual decision making and a woman's right to refuse sexual intercourse were among some of the variables assessed. The vast majority of the university students (83%) are sexually experienced; only a third used condoms at their last sexual encounter; the use or nonuse of condoms was significantly associated with age, sex, marital status, and attitudes toward gender issues. There were ...

An academic directory and search engine.

Women & Therapy, 1990

Page 1. Perceptions on Communication and Sexuality in Marriage in Zimbabwe ... In this mar-riage ... more Page 1. Perceptions on Communication and Sexuality in Marriage in Zimbabwe ... In this mar-riage contract female fidelity is highly essential since infidelity in-creases the chances of having children who do not belong to the lineage, a situation warranting divorce. ...

Social Science & Medicine, 1993

This paper reports preliminary results from a study of child feeding practices in a rural area of... more This paper reports preliminary results from a study of child feeding practices in a rural area of Zimbabwe. Although Zimbabwe has relatively low infant mortality rates, it still has high child malnutrition rates. Several factors, including sex roles and relations between the sexes, access to resources, food costs and availability, time and energy costs of food production and preparation, and illness beliefs and practices, especially those concerning diarrhea and malnutrition, are examined as possible determinants of feeding practices and nutritional and health status. Results are compared to reports made by the World Bank and the Zimbabwe national nutrition survey. Whereas the World Bank report suggests a problem of late introduction of breastmilk supplements or solids, we found the opposite tendency of early introduction (by 3 months) of supplements. We suggest that mothers' pragmatic attitudes, interacting with certain social, cultural, and economic variables, are important factors influencing their child feeding decisions, especially resisting the use of commercial infant formula, at least in this rural area. and promoting prolonged breastfeeding.

Tanzanian Economic Review, Feb 28, 2022

This study estimates a binary logistic regression model to examine the socioeconomic determinants... more This study estimates a binary logistic regression model to examine the socioeconomic determinants of utilizing HIV testing services amongst female gender based violence (GBV) survivors in Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe, using cross-sectional data from 130 female survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). The findings show that number of children, age of survivor and level of access to healthcare are positively associated with the use of HIV testing services, whereas religion and survivor's marital status are negatively associated with the use of HIV testing services. Programs aimed at improving utilization of HIV testing services should therefore place emphasis on younger women, with a view to raise awareness on the dangers of poor utilization of such services. Furthermore, policy makers should aim to increase resources for improving access to healthcare, particularly by increasing mobile clinics and Victim Friendly Units so that female GBV survivors will be motivated to utilize the HIV testing services.

Cogent Social Sciences, Nov 1, 2022