Abstract:
The AIDS epidemic is global in its span; a particularly heavy burden has fallen
on Sub-Saharan Africa. The consequences of the African AIDS epidemic are growing—not only
just in size—but in complexity. These consequences are no longer just biological; increasingly,
they are also behavioural, social and cultural.
It is well-known that 84% of the population in Ethiopia lives in rural areas relying on the
agricultural sector which plays the central role in the country’s economy. However efforts to
conduct HIV related studies in rural areas of the country remain extremely patchy. So far, there
have been few studies concerning the nature of HIV infection in rural areas resulting in meagre
information on how HIV spreads from urban to the rural areas and how local people perceive the
epidemic and protect themselves from risk factors. The rural people in Bure Woreda are not an
exception.
The negative influences of migration, fertility intentions and other socio-cultural factors in the
spread of HIV in the Amhara region in general and in the present study area in particular are not
known, moreover, overlooked social activities such as leisure activities which may be linked to
HIV risk behaviours among the study population of the rural to urban migrants and non-migrants
in Bure Woreda, North West Ethiopia require due attention and a thorough investigation. The
way in which migration contributes to the spread of HIV risk is complex and not well
understood. Previous studies have focused on the destinations of migrants, or, less often, on the
areas from which migrants come. In this study exploring both ends of migration routes in
atypical rural areas is fundamental for successful interventions
Although subsistence agriculture is the major economic activity in Ethiopia; parents want to have
large numbers of children for assistance in farming activities as well as economic support during
old age. In the rural areas, women’s fertility and HIV infection are not independent of one
another.