There have been enormous strides in response to the AIDS epidemic in the past decades; however, adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) remain at high risk for new HIV infection throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Recognizing this continued discrepancy, I call for more attention to girls’ perceptions of vulnerabilities by revisiting an ethnographic study of HIV risk carried out in 2004 in a rural community in Kenya. My analysis situates Maasai AGYW perceptions and understandings of HIV risk as a culturally constructed idiom of distress: “Ukimwi ni Homa” (AIDS is a fever). I examine the emic perspectives of HIV vulnerability and the association of sexual relationships within the context of economic precarity. Findings demonstrate how references to fevers expressed feelings of helplessness, which increased indifference to HIV risk. This indifference led AGYW to prioritize imminent economic needs over long-term effects of a viral infection that they perceived as inevitable. Critically reflecting on AGYW understandings of their own risk perceptions can influence effective HIV intervention design. My conclusions support the need for tailoring combination prevention approaches to address perceived vulnerabilities within populations. Such perspectives add valuable insights to studies rooted in cultural constructions of illness perspective.

中文翻译：

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马赛女孩的 Ukimwi ni Homa 经历（艾滋病是一种发烧）：东非脆弱性和 HIV 风险的成语

在过去的几十年里，在应对艾滋病流行方面取得了长足的进步；然而，在整个撒哈拉以南非洲，少女和年轻女性 (AGYW) 仍然处于新感染 HIV 的高风险中。认识到这种持续的差异，我呼吁通过重新审视 2004 年在肯尼亚农村社区开展的艾滋病毒风险民族志研究，更加关注女孩对脆弱性的看法。我的分析将 Maasai AGYW 对 HIV 风险的看法和理解定位为一种文化构建的痛苦习语：“Ukimwi ni Homa”（艾滋病是一种发烧）。我在经济不稳定的背景下研究了艾滋病毒易感性和性关系的普遍观点。研究结果表明，提及发烧如何表达无助感，这增加了对艾滋病毒风险的冷漠。这种冷漠导致 AGYW 优先考虑迫在眉睫的经济需求，而不是他们认为不可避免的病毒感染的长期影响。批判性地反思 AGYW 对自身风险认知的理解会影响有效的 HIV 干预设计。我的结论支持需要定制组合预防方法来解决人群中感知到的脆弱性。这些观点为植根于疾病观点的文化建构的研究增添了宝贵的见解。我的结论支持需要定制组合预防方法来解决人群中感知到的脆弱性。这些观点为植根于疾病观点的文化建构的研究增添了宝贵的见解。我的结论支持需要定制组合预防方法来解决人群中感知到的脆弱性。这些观点为植根于疾病观点的文化建构的研究增添了宝贵的见解。