A controversial US project that pays drug users and alcoholics to undergo sterilisation or long-term contraception, is setting its sights on women living with HIV in South Africa.
Founder of Project Prevention Barbara Harris has confirmed that they were making plans to offer similar services to women living with HIV in South Africa as well as drug users.“We have had huge interest in South Africa from organisations and concerned citizens,” said Harris, adding that they would be joining forces with local non-governmental organisations.
US project planning to sterilise HIV women in South Africa | SAfAIDS
Who are these “concerned citizens” contacting an organization widely known for advocating sterilization of the most disadvantaged on oppressed women in every society it operates?
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While she declined to identify them, she said “we have many wanting to work with us”. “How can anyone object to anything that can prevent innocent children suffering needlessly?” asked Harris.
However, Professor Eddie Mhlanga, Chief Director for Maternal, Child and Women’s Health in the health department said they would approach the Human Rights Commission if the project started operating in South Africa.
He also warned that doctors found co-operating with the organisation in any medical interventions would be reported to the Health Professions Council of South Africa. “We do not support it and we find it very worrisome,” said Mhlanga.
Project Prevention is already operating in parts of Kenya, where it is paying women living with HIV U$40 to accept long-term contraception. A doctor is paid U$7 per patient.
In Kenya, Project Prevention is working in Nyanza province where they place woman in groups of between 10 and 15 and give them a pooled amount of money to begin income-generating activities in return for accepting intrauterine devices (IUDs) as long-term contraception. Each woman then receives around R280 in return.
A Project Prevention statement released in December last year said there was a need “…to work on getting women living with HIV/AIDS on long term birth control to prevent future pregnancies that may result in suffering children.”
It also stated that long term birth control was the “only way those numbers will become fewer.”
Project Prevention co-ordinator in Kenya Willice Okoth also confirmed they were planning to work in South Africa and claimed they were teaming up with “individuals” from a doctor and medical insurance network.
Harris started the organisation in 1997 and has famously been quoted as saying in reference to drug addicts: “We don’t allow dogs to breed. We spay them. We neuter them. We try to keep them from having unwanted puppies, and yet these women are literally having litters of children.”
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