Summary

Research Report: Discusses the epidemiological history of the three waves of Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) epidemics experienced in PNG since the 1830's.

Description

Author: Ian Riley

This paper is one of a series of four academic research papers prepared for
a meeting titled HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific: Its everyone's
problem. This paper discusses the epidemiological history of
the three waves of Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) epidemics experienced in
PNG since the 1830's. The first epidemic of gonorrhoea and granuloma
inguinale, was one of the outcomes of the labour trade of the nineteenth
century. The second was syphilis and commenced about 1969; it appears to have
been a consequence of the eradication of yaws. The third is HIV and AIDS - the
first case of AIDS being diagnosed in 1987. Riley uses an understanding of the
first two waves to create a picture of the possible spread of HIV/AIDS.

The paper discusses how various military and civilian administrations'
often-subtle variation in policy had vast effects on health services and
disease. Conclusions of the paper are that individual diseases need to be
considered within the broader context of health. Projections of western
concepts of sexuality (especially sexual guilt) damaged social relationships;
the corresponding modern failure is the separation of concepts of sexuality and
fertility. Damage to social relationships and loss of fertility are much closer
to central Melanesian concepts of disease than they are to our own and need to
be emphasised. The author argues that developmental health workers need
to analyse current power relationships and not imagine that past techniques of
health service development will work for us today.

HIV/AIDS - Lessons from Sexually Transmitted Disease Epidemics [PDF 83KB]

Available: Electronic version only

This report was commissioned by AusAID. The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in the report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of AusAID or the Australian Government.

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