Married Women in Cambodia Often Unable to Negotiate Condom Use, Refuse Sex, Report Says

Married women in Cambodia often feel unable to talk about sexual issues such as condom use with their husbands, which is putting them at a greater risk of contracting HIV, according to preliminary findings in a report released on Friday by the U.N. Development Fund for Women and the Cambodian Ministry of Women's Affairs, Xinhua/People's Daily Online reports. The report, titled "Power Relations in Contemporary Cambodian Marriage," also found that many married women feel they cannot refuse sex with their husbands even if they know their husbands are having sex with other people or are engaging in other "risky behaviors," according to Xinhua/People's Daily Online. "We all recognize that women's human rights have to be respected," Jean D'Cunha, regional program director for UNIFEM, said, adding, "The question now is how to turn this commitment into concrete actions that empower women to have control over -- and decide freely on -- matters relating to their health and well-being, including their sexual health" (Xinhua/People's Daily Online, 12/9).

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