A growing body of public health evidence is drawing attention to an overlooked driver of antimicrobial resistance gender-based violence (GBV). While Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has long been associated with the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans, livestock, and agriculture, experts now warn that social and gender inequalities are accelerating the crisis, particularly among women.
AMR occurs when bacteria and other microorganisms evolve to withstand medications designed to kill them, rendering standard treatments ineffective. The result is prolonged illness, higher medical costs, and increased mortality. However, beyond clinical misuse, structural barriers to healthcare are emerging as critical contributors to the problem.
Health professionals note that women face a disproportionate risk of AMR due to conditions such as Sexually Transmitted Infections, Urinary Tract Infection, and complications from unsafe abortions. These conditions often require prompt and sustained antibiotic treatment. Yet, for many women particularly those in vulnerable settings access to timely and adequate care remains limited.
Experts say gender-based violence plays a direct and indirect role in this trend. Survivors of physical or sexual violence frequently sustain injuries that increase their susceptibility to infections. In many cases, delayed or inadequate medical attention allows these infections to worsen, requiring more aggressive antibiotic use and increasing the likelihood of resistance.
In addition, sexual violence is closely linked to the spread of sexually transmitted infections, which often necessitate repeated or prolonged antibiotic treatment. Even when survivors seek care, gaps in follow-up treatment and continuity of care can undermine recovery and contribute to improper antibiotic use.
Unsafe abortion practices further compound the risk. Women who undergo such procedures often due to lack of access to safe reproductive health services face a heightened likelihood of severe infections. These infections, if not properly treated, can drive resistance to commonly used drugs.
Beyond GBV, broader societal and economic inequalities continue to shape women’s vulnerability. Diseases such as Tuberculosis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus remain heavily stigmatized in many communities. This stigma often discourages women from seeking early diagnosis or adhering to treatment, leading to incomplete medication use a key factor in the development of AMR.
Poverty and limited financial autonomy further restrict access to healthcare services, forcing many women to delay treatment or rely on self-medication. In some cases, women prioritize the health of their families over their own, postponing care until infections become severe and require stronger, more complex antibiotic regimens.
Public health experts emphasize that addressing AMR requires more than regulating drug use. It demands a broader, more integrated approach that tackles gender inequality, strengthens healthcare access, and ensures protection for survivors of violence.
As global health systems intensify efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance, the intersection between GBV and infectious disease is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore highlighting the urgent need for policies that protect not only public health, but also the rights and well-being of women.
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