I have a pet peeve (one of many): it is called THE SCAPEGOAT.

You know those court cases where there is talk of the accused’s violent/poor/abusive past? It always takes a lot of thinking for me to start seeing the other side of the coin with regards to these things.

I found one such example in a recent report regarding AIDS. The Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa released statistics showing massive increases in the incidence of AIDS in certain provinces. In an attempt to find solutions, reasons were sought for these increases. One reason was stated as POVERTY.

My initial response was something in the line of, “Yeah, right. Not only does poverty give you child support grants and a reason for committing crimes, it now causes AIDS.” I’m well-acquainted with the fact that the effects of AIDS are likely to increase poverty, but vice versa seemed a bit much.

But with some thought, I realized it’s actually not such a far-fetched idea – and it’s no co-incidence that the highest rates of AIDS are found in the poorest geographic areas in countries. It’s hard to stop giving reasons once you start.

1.       Education / access to information: It’s no secret that the average adult in poor, informal settlements (particularly in developing countries) did not complete his/her schooling and does not have great access to the internet and information – meaning in particular: VULNERABILITLY TO PROPAGANDA. Because of this, it’s not surprising that myths regarding HIV/AIDS are so abundant in these cultures. Think, “Sleeping with a virgin will cure you of AIDS” and, “Condoms are a Western ploy to weaken our nation.”

2.       Security and violence: The poor can not be expected to afford great security systems or even very strong gates. In fact, being able to lock all your doors (or actually having doors in your house) can be seen as quite a privilege to many poor communities. Because of this, individuals in these situations have less protection from robbers (for example, struggles involving knives pose the threat of blood-to-blood transmission) and rapists. Ask any South African policeman where he has seen the most violent crimes: he will most likely cite a poor and informal settlement.

3.       Prostitution: Prostitution is illegal in most developing countries, but there is still a market for it – and nobody knows this better than the unemployed, single mother-of-five trying to put bread on the table. And to be honest, if your involved in illegal business to keep your children’s tummies full, and a customer refuses a condom… well. Not many of these ladies would walk away.

4.       Sugar daddies: this one has had the South African media roaring of late and is a lot more common than we would like to believe. It’s quite simple: rich men who want some entertainment, no strings attached, will give a much younger girl plenty money and beautiful gifts in exchange for a few favors – which, again, usually excludes the use of a condom. And the girls who will accept these gifts are the ones who need it – not the girls with parents to protect them from such men, but the poor ones who suffer daily for a lack of necessities.

So it seems my initial irritation was a bit hasty, and that poverty as a possible factor in AIDS-prevalence is not irrational.

Just as long as “I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend because I’m poor, don’t blame me” isn’t included underneath that umbrella.