Social Isolation of These Women Also Can Lead To the Development

Question: How India Are Socially Isolated Due To Cultural Factors? Answer: Introducation: Sexually transmitted disease (STD) are predominantly occurs due to the sexual contacts through vaginal, anal and oral route. Other than these sexual contacts, non-sexual contacts are also responsible for the occurrence of STDs. These non-sexual contacts include infected blood and tissues, breastfeeding and transmission form infected mother to child during childbirth. Biological organs responsible for the transmission of the STDs include penis, vulva, rectum, urinary tract, mouth, and eyes. Most widely used practices for the prevention of STDs include use of condoms and vaccination. Vaginal and penile discharge, ulcers on genitals, and pelvic pain are the most common signs and symptoms associated with STDs. STDs can also transmitted from mother to baby during birth and these children are more susceptible for the improper growth. Different agents are responsible of the occurrence of STDs and these include bacterial, viral and parasitic infections. Diseases like chlamydia, gonorrhea, an d syphilis occur due to bacteria, genital herpes, HIV/AIDS, and genital warts occur due to viruses and trichomoniasis occurs due to parasites (Beigi, 2010). Prevalence of STDs is more in low caste Indian women as compared to the other population in India. Low socioeconomic standard of living is the main reason responsible for occurrence of STDs in low caste Indian women because these class people are more susceptible for the infection as compared to the other population. It is evident that, STDs are more common in women as compared to the men. Hence, women in the low socioeconomic class in India are more susceptible for the STDs. Different social, financial and cultural factors are responsible for the occurrence of STDs in these women. These factors comprise of poverty, less education, unemployment, unhygienic condition, deficiency in healthcare services and lack of gender specific treatment. India is a population dense country and 35 % population of India is of low caste. Hence, this group is the largest group in the world affected by STDs. More attention should be given towards this population (Stanberry and Rosenthal, 2012; Murthy and Smith, 2010). Social determinants: Policies and recommendations can be implemented for the prevention and management of the STDs by considering social determinants of STDs. Social determinants also plays prominent role in the transmission and spread of STDs particularly in the women of low caste in India. Economics class, social status and educational level and employment status are the social determinants liable for STDs. Healthcare services, hygienic housing, social exclusion, food security and stigma are the other social determinants responsible for STDs in these women. Poverty is directly proportional to the occurrence of STDs. Poverty of these women lead to the less education of these women and less knowledge about relationship between hygienic condition and STDs. Hence, these women give less attention to the personal hygiene and become more prone to the STDs. Poverty also results in the less access to the healthcare facilities to these women. Women in poverty may also drag themselves in the sex business to earn money and livelihood to take care of their family. Multiple sex contacts are one of the most leading causes for the occurrence of STDs. These sex workers with low economic status are mostly unregistered sex workers. Most of the registered sex workers belong to the high socioeconomic class. It is evident that occurrence of STDs is more in unregistered sex workers as compared to the registered sex workers. Hence, social determinant also plays significant role in the occurrence of STDs (Sirotin et al., 2010). Social isolation of these women also can lead to the development of STDs in these women. Unmarried, widow and divorcees women in these population in India are socially isolated due to cultural factors. This social isolation drags these women in the psychological issues like risky behavior. This risky behavior may be sexual desire. This ultimately can result in the multiple partner sex and incidence of STDs (Shendre and Tiwari, 2002). Most of the women in this population are illiterate. Due to less education, these women are unaware of the causative factors and mode of transmission of STDs. These women are also unaware of the safe hygienic practices. These women are shy due to their social and cultural aspects. Hence, these women are unwilling to discuss about the safe sex and consequences of the unsafe sex. This lack of communication due to illiteracy may result in the more prevalence of STDs in these Indian women (Dean and Fenton, 2010). Family members of these women are mostly unemployed. Hence, these women have to face adverse social encounters. It can lead to unsafe sex and consequently STDs (Shendre and Tiwari, 2005). Being the socially backward and with poverty, these women have very less access to healthcare services including knowledge about policies and subsidies for the prevention and treatment of STDs. With this less knowledge, these women are unwilling to treat their STDs due to fear of high cost of treatment. There is no health equity for women of this population. Women of the high social class and men of the low income can get more access to the healthcare services as compared to the women of low income group. Women of this class mostly live in the rural areas and rural healthcare sector in India is not developed to provide healthcare services to all the disease conditions including STDs. Furthermore, healthcare professionals including doctors are reluctant to occupy position in the healthcare centers in the rural areas. Hence, it would be very difficult for these women to get necessary healthcare services at urban healthcare centers due to poverty (Satcher, 2010; Foege, 2010; Sharpe et a., 2010). There is scarcity of food for women of low caste. Hence, it becomes mandatory for these women for relocation to the other areas in search of food. This mobility can results in the transmission of the STDs. Men in this population are more susceptible for the addiction development. These men would not be in the physical and mental state to earn for the family. Hence, women need to work to earn food. This can lead to social victim of multiple partner sex. Women in the low caste live in the unhygienic areas. These women use unhygienic toilets, public toilets and open space for defecation. This can lead infection in these women. These women store their sanitary napkins and inner wears in the unhygienic places (Kesah et al., 2013). Stigma of the STDs among these women can lead to the hiding about this disease and as a result these women cant get proper treatment for STDs (Dean and Fenton, 2010). Potential stakeholders: Experts from the different professions need to be incorporated in addressing social determinants of STDs in these women. These professionals should be from social and health sciences. Role of Government is of prime importance for addressing these social determinants. There should be uniform policies by the Health department for all the classes of the people. Special emphasis should be given to the women of low caste. Government should give special subsidies for these women for treatment. Promotional campaign should be arranged to raise awareness of the STDs among these women. Government should conduct surveys to identify the problems responsible for the prevalence of STDs. After identification of the reasons behind occurrence of STDs, Government should set goals and make relevant policies to control these factors. Government should give special compensation for the healthcare professionals including doctors to work in the rural areas and areas with low socioeconomic class people. Gov ernment should make availability of all the facilities in the Government hospitals for the diagnosis and treatment of STDs (Goel, 2010). Government should collaborate with private hospitals for the treatment of STDs. Hospitals should arrange workshops and counseling sessions for the prevention of STDs. Maternity homes should maintain hygienic condition because in maternity homes there are more chances of infection to these women (Maynard-Tucker, 2014). Along with provision of the medical facilities, Government should also work for the improvement of the socioeconomic status of these women. Government should increase employment opportunities for family members of these women. By this, these families can become finically stable and it would be helpful in avoiding risky behavior like unsafe sex (Reed et al., 2010). Non-Government organizations (NGOs) should also play prominent role in STDs. NGOs should work as the connecting link between the Government and these women for the prevention of these diseases. NGOs should make aware these women about all the policies by the Government for STDs. NGOs should improve awareness in women about STDs. NGOs should work closely with Government for effective implementation of these policies. Social workers should arrange counseling sessions for the family members of these women to improve hygienic condition and to improve financial stability. Social workers should also give confidence for these women about the improvement in their condition. Social workers should work closely with hospitals and assist these women in availing all the healthcare policies and facilities. Family members of these women should give respectful treatment for these women and provide equality in availing healthcare services. Men members of these families should take complete responsibi ty of the financial aspects and should give emotional stability to these women. Family members should provide these women with hygienic house and facility with hygienic toilets. Emotional stability and moral support is of prime importance for these women with diagnosis of STDs. Family members can play prominent role in providing these aspects to these women. Society and community members should give respect to women with STDs and should not isolate them from the society. This would be helpful in avoiding psychological problems and preventing form the risky behaviors like multiple partner sex. Psychologist should also play important role in handling psychological problems in these women. Psychologist should provide counseling to these women to come out of the depression due to STDs (Murthy and Smith, 2010). Epidemiologist should conduct surveys about the prevalence of STDs among low caste women and provide data to the Government, hence Government can make appropriate policies for prevention of STDs. Epidemiologist and Government should keep confidentiality of the women with STDs. By this, these women would be ready to share their STDs and exact data of the STDs can be obtained. Panchayat in the rural area should provide hygienic water and should maintain cleanliness at the village level. This would be helpful in the prevention of STDs (Maynard-Tucker, 2014). Conclusion: STDs are more prevalent in the low caste Indian women Low caste Indian women is the largest population affected with STDs. Social determinants plays important role in the occurrence of STDs in these group of women. Social, financial, cultural and health related factors are responsible for the occurrence of STDs in this population. Illiteracy, unemployment, poverty, less access to healthcare facilities, poor standard of living and health inequity are the major factors for the incidence of STDs in these women. Stakeholders form the different discipline should be incorporated to address STDs in the women. These stakeholders include Government, NGOs, medical professionals, social workers, psychologist and epidemiologist. Integrated effort of all these stakeholders would definitely be helpful in improving condition of these women. References: Beigi, R.H. (2010). Sexually Transmitted Diseases, John Wiley Sons. Dean, H.D., and Fenton, K.A. (2010). Addressing Social Determinants of Health in the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Tuberculosis. 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