AIDS focus. The South African dimension to caring.

Abstract

By December 31 1992 300000-400000 blacks and 1000 whites in South Africa will be HIV seropositive. The number of infected people doubles every 8.5 months. By 2000 25% of the adult population may be infected with HIV. The cost of providing health care to these hiv-infected adults may range from R75000-R90000 million. In 1990 about 2000 infants were infected with HIV via perinatal transmission. The same year there were 6500 HIV-infected pregnant women and about 86000 HIV-infected women. In Bophuthatswana 45 >13-year old males and 6 <13-year children were HIV infected. In Namibia 62 <14-year old children were HIV infected. Blacks mixed-races and Asian groups in South Africa tend to view family planning programs as a political ruse by the white minority to decrease their populations and they tend to reject any advice on safer sexual practices to prevent HIV transmission. They tend to believe advice from someone they trust and who has had personal experience with AIDS however. Thus people from all political and ethnic backgrounds and health and social welfare training must deal with the variety of issues which work against children with AIDS and those not yet born. Many of the people most afflicted with AIDS live in rural areas in inadequate housing and limited access to health clinics. Health workers have noted how some of South Africas neighbors have confronted AIDS. For example AIDS organizations in Uganda and Tanzania supplement government activities in health education and support. In South Africa most women are defenseless because the culture accepts male sexual permissiveness and focuses sexual life on male interests. Health education programs must address inequality so women can protect themselves. They should also target adolescents and emphasize ways to prevent themselves from becoming infected with HIV and if HIV infected to keep themselves from infecting others.