Bole, (N/R), Oct. 10, GNA - A survey conducted by Action Aid Ghana w= ith support from United Nation's Population Fund (UNFPA) in the three norther= n regions indicates that violence against women contributes to the increasi= ng rate of HIV and AIDS in these areas. The research was conducted in six districts namely; Jirapa and Lawra= in the Upper West Region, Bawku and Talensi-Nabdam in the Upper East Region,=

Tamale and Bole in the Northern Region.

The 222 respondents answered questions through interviews and focus group discussion. Miss Rahinatu Fuseini, Action Aid's Programme Officer on Gender and Women's Rights presented the research findings in a forum on Thursday in Bole in the Bole/Bamboi District of the Northern Region. She said women had always experienced physical violence including ra= pe which had the tendency of infecting the victim with HIV.

The research, according to her, also indicated that some cultural practices like widowhood rights where a relative took over the wife of a dead man without knowing the cause of death was quite disturbing to the fight against the HIV/AIDS. She said the research revealed that some people had been infected wi= th the disease as a result of such marriages and the victims died in the process. Miss Fuseini said arbitrary dissolution of marriages without responsibility and compensation put the women at a disadvantage especiall= y when the woman was not working as she could fall prey to a man with the virus. She therefore urged the people to be cautious in their relationships=

since everyone was vulnerable to HIV/AIDS adding that people should des= ist from stigmatizing those with the disease. Participants at the forum appealed to the government to give the anti-retroviral drugs free of charge to persons living with the HIV virus= as most affected persons were not working and could not afford the GH¢5.0= 0 for the drugs every month.