MANIFESTATIONS OF GENDER INEQUALITY AND ITS INFLUENCE ON HEALTH SERVICE USE AMONG FEMALE INJECTING DRUG USERS - A STUDY IN CHAMPAI, MIZORAM

Context: Gender inequalities affect womens access to and use of health services. The current study focused on Female Injecting Drug Users with human immunodeficiency virus positive status, residing in Champai district of Mizoram. Drug use and drug peddling beset the district and injecting drug use and sharing of injecting equipment caused the rising HIV infection among users. In Mizoram, the human immunodeficiency virus infection recording 2.04% prevalence rate has topped the list of States. Aims: The study was conducted with the aim of understanding how FIDUs experience gender inequality and discrimination and the impacts the same have on their abilities to access health services. Methods and Materials: The qualitative study was conducted among Female HIV positive intravenous drug users. The data were collected through individual interviews with Key Informants involved in health service delivery; and focus groups with HIV positive FIDUs. Given the hidden nature of FIDUs, snowball sampling was attempted to recruit participants. Qualitative data analysis was conducted using the framework approach and informed by theories of risk environments. Statistical Analysis used:A summary of socio-demographic with drug use and HIV positive status of participants was generated using Microsoft Excel systems. Transcripts were analyzed through QAD MINAR software and codes were generated Results: This study identified important structural and contextual factors that affect the uptake of the preventive health services by FIDUs of Champai and other vulnerable districts of Mizoram state.Conclusion: The findings suggest systemic interventions that reduce community deprivation and social disorder likely to yield important benefits.