Fathers

Dr. Bitchong says that a big problem in Swaziland is that men still refuse to be tested for HIV. The women are increasingly willing to be tested during pregnancy in hopes of preventing mother to child transmission. I don’t understand the problem with the men. How can you ignore such a devastating problem that is affecting the rest of your family?

This afternoon there was a boy brought into the clinic by his father. He was not a swazi, he spoke French with Dr. Bitchong, who is from Cameroon. I really like working with Dr. Bitchong. He is kind and gentle. I tell him I’m surprised to see a father at the clinic. This is the first I’ve seen. He says they are rare, and they are never Swazi fathers. Swazi culture does not allow fathers to carry their children. He says the stigma is very strong. Once a mother of twins brought a critically ill baby to the ER. The father had accompanied them, but did not carry the child. After the initial assessment, the baby was admitted, and the mother said she had to go now and get the other twin who was at home with the same condition. Dr. Bitchong asked the man why he had not brought them at the same time. He replied he could not carry the boy, everyone would laugh at him.