Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Prevention Research Articles

Research on AIDS Prevention and Treatment

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). This syndrome is a sexually transmitted disease that caused millions of lives lost in the last century. This disease was notorious for its incurability. This paper introduces and analyzes the prevention and treatment of AIDS. To conclude, there are four types of symptoms, namely the regular symptoms, respiratory symptoms, nervous system symptoms, and gastrointestinal symptoms. The treatments for AIDS include the antiviral therapy, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), protease inhibitors (PIs), integrase inhibitors, fusion inhibitors, GP 120 attachment inhibitors, CCR5 antagonists, and post-attachment inhibitor or monoclonal antibody. The incurability of the syndrome still has to be solved since all of the treatments can only be used to prolong the patients lives.

The consensus guideline of perioperative antiviral therapy for AIDS patients in China based on clinical practice.

The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has emerged as a major public health concern in China. When patients with HIV infection undergo surgical treatment, there are two main challenges. Firstly, medical staff face a high risk of HIV infection due to occupational exposure. Secondly, the patient's immune function is impaired, increasing the risk of opportunistic infections and postoperative complications. The surgical treatment of such patients is unique, and the risk of occupational exposure during the operation primarily depends upon the viral load of HIV/AIDS patients. Therefore, perioperative antiretroviral therapy is of paramount importance in order to standardize the perioperative antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV/AIDS patients. The Surgery Group of the Chinese Association of STD and AIDS Prevention and Control, in collaboration with the Treatment Association, and Surgery Group of the Chinese Medical Association of Tropical Diseases and Parasitology, has developed an expert consensus on perioperative antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS patients. This consensus encompasses various aspects, including surgical risk assessment, selection of perioperative antiretroviral therapy regimens, prevention of opportunistic infections, and the crucial focus on rapid preoperative viral load reduction and immune function reconstruction for HIV/AIDS patients.

Knowledge of final year undergraduate nursing students about HIV and AIDS in Eswatini.

BackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are overwhelming health issues globally. They have caused many devastating and draining health issues, which have escalated a critical need for a well-trained and sustainable healthcare workforce in order to meet the needs of people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA). Health science students are the future healthcare providers who will implement proper preventive measures, as well as health educational and promotional sessions to promote information and knowledge among the public regarding HIV and AIDS in Eswatini.MethodsA quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted on 140 final-year undergraduate nursing students in three nursing universities in Eswatini. A questionnaire adapted from Othman and Ali in Malaysia with closed-ended questions was modified and used to collect data. The questionnaire consisted of questions on the virus structure, transmission, prevention and management of HIV and AIDS. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 was utilised to analyse the data.ResultsThe level of knowledge about HIV and AIDS was high, as evidenced by a mean score and standard deviation of (91.02 ± 5.00). However, there were low scores on questions related to the transmission of the disease.ConclusionAcross all three universities in Eswatini, there were good nursing education programmes on HIV and AIDS, evidenced by the high knowledge level about HIV and AIDS. However, there are still some knowledge gaps on HIV and AIDS transmission and management that need to be attended to.ContributionThis study contributed by providing knowledge of undergraduate nursing students’ HIV and AIDS training and management of PLWHA.

Condom stigma among men who have sex with men population: Concept synthesis.

The epidemic of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) among men who have sex with men (MSM) is severe in China. And MSM has now become a key population for the infection and transmission of AIDS. At present, the bottleneck of AIDS prevention and control among MSM population is low rate of continuous condom use and high incidence of unsafe sexual behavior. Inductive summarization of the literature revealed that the most critical reason for low rate of continuous condom use among the MSM population was condom-related stigma. Although many studies mentioned condom-related stigma among MSM populations, there has been no any definition of MSM-related condom stigma and no measurement for it. Therefore, the paper aims to explore barriers to condom use among MSM, then construct the conceptual and operational definition of "MSM-related condom stigma" through Meta synthesis and concept synthesis, and provide a new perspective for AIDS prevention and control among MSM. Based on evidence-based method, "PICoS" framework and Meta-synthesis was used to include the literatures. Then, we used synthesized qualitative evidence from included studies to construct the concept and operational definition of MSM-related condom stigma by the means of thematic analysis and concept synthesis. According to the results of the concept synthesis, MSM-related condom stigma refers to any taboos or misbeliefs about condom use or feeling ashamed or embarrassed to talk about using condoms which perceived by individuals at the individual, interpersonal, and social levels.It was demonstrated through 4 sub-themes at operational level: a symbol of distrust, a symbol of HIV/sexual transmitted infections (STIs) prevention, a symbol of an embarrassing topic, and a symbol of violating the traditional cognition of sexual intercourse. According to the Social-ecological Model (SEM), a symbol of distrust refers to that the MSM population believes that not using condoms represents mutual trust between sexual partners, while using condoms is difficult to express intimacy, trust and loyalty between sexual partners. A symbol of HIV/STIs prevention at the interpersonal level refers to that the MSM population believes that condom use is a "symbol" for the prevention or infection of AIDS; on the one hand, if someone proposes to use condoms, he may be considered infected with HIV or have unsafe sex experiences, thus, making it difficult to propose condom use; on the other hand, if they believe that sexual partners are "AIDS free" (often a wrong perception, such as sexual partners may have the risk of AIDS infection although they do not have AIDS), it is considered that condom use is completely unnecessary. The environmental level includes a symbol of an embarrassing topic and a symbol of violating the traditional cognition of sexual intercourse. A symbol of an embarrassing topic refers to the MSM population feels shame about topics related to sexual behavior and is embarrassed to carry/buy/propose condom use or be ashamed to engage in conversations about whether to use condoms during sexual behavior. And a symbol of violating the traditional cognition of sexual intercourse: The MSM population have limitations in their perception of "sex" or "sexual behavior" and believe that real sex (behavior) is unobstructed contact between the bodies and exchange between all body fluids. The concept of MSM-related condom stigma is proposed for the first time, and its operational definition is given. The concept includes 3 levels and 4 dimensions. It is helpful to understand MSM people's attitude and cognition towards condoms, and adds indicators with cultural sensitivity and behavioral sensitivity to the behavioral intervention for AIDS in the future.

The Prevalence and Related Effects of HIV Drug-Resistant Strains Against Antiretroviral Therapy in China

Abstract Anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment resistance surveillance has been going on for nearly 18 years in China. In this paper, we review the prevalence in China of resistance to reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitors in the HIV-infected population receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the population that stopped ART in recent years. Drug resistance is an important factor affecting the death of patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). With the extension of the duration of ART and the expansion of the population receiving ART, especially the widespread promotion of preventive drugs before and after exposure, it is important to obtain insight into the prevalence and types of drug-resistant strains and their impact on the overall AIDS prevention and treatment effect.

A Combined Model of SARIMA and Prophet Models in Forecasting AIDS Incidence in Henan Province, China.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a serious public health problem. This study aims to establish a combined model of seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) and Prophet models based on an L1-norm to predict the incidence of AIDS in Henan province, China. The monthly incidences of AIDS in Henan province from 2012 to 2020 were obtained from the Health Commission of Henan Province. A SARIMA model, a Prophet model, and two combined models were adopted to fit the monthly incidence of AIDS using the data from January 2012 to December 2019. The data from January 2020 to December 2020 was used to verify. The mean square error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) were used to compare the prediction effect among the models. The results showed that the monthly incidence fluctuated from 0.05 to 0.50 per 100,000 individuals, and the monthly incidence of AIDS had a certain periodicity in Henan province. In addition, the prediction effect of the Prophet model was better than SARIMA model, the combined model was better than the single models, and the combined model based on the L1-norm had the best effect values (MSE = 0.0056, MAE = 0.0553, MAPE = 43.5337). This indicated that, compared with the L2-norm, the L1-norm improved the prediction accuracy of the combined model. The combined model of SARIMA and Prophet based on the L1-norm is a suitable method to predict the incidence of AIDS in Henan. Our findings can provide theoretical evidence for the government to formulate policies regarding AIDS prevention.

Different Trends of Distinct Time Points of AIDS Events Following HIV Diagnosis in Various At-risk Populations: A Retrospective Nationwide Cohort Study in Taiwan.

IntroductionAcquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) events at distinct time points after human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnosis require various AIDS prevention strategies. However, no nationwide epidemiological surveillance studies have been conducted to explore the trends of distinct AIDS event time points in various at-risk populations. The aim of this study was to explore the issues and characterize the determinants of AIDS status after HIV diagnosis.MethodsThis nationwide cohort study enrolled HIV-positive Taiwanese during 1984–2016. AIDS events were classified into three time points (≤ 3, 4–12, > 12 months) by their occurrence time after HIV diagnosis. The periods of HIV/AIDS diagnosis were divided into six categories according to the calendar year of HIV/AIDS diagnosis: 1984–1991, 1992–1996, 1997–2001, 2002–2006, 2007–2011, and 2012–2016. HIV-positive Taiwanese during 1984–2011 were then selected to determine the factors associated with four AIDS statuses within 5 years after HIV diagnosis (no AIDS, AIDS ≤ 3 months, within 4–12 months, > 12 months) using multinomial logistic regression.ResultsOf 33,142 cases, we identified 15,254 (46%) AIDS events. The overall AIDS incidence (events/100 person-years) peaked during 1992–1996 (20.61), then declined, and finally stabilized from 2002 (8.96–9.82). The evolution of the proportion of distinct time points of AIDS events following HIV diagnosis changed significantly in heterosexuals and intravenous drug users (IDUs) during 1984–2016 (decline at ≤ 3 months in IDUs, decline at 4–12 months in IDUs, and increase at > 12 months in heterosexuals and IDUs) but not among men who have sex with men (MSM). Time points at ≤ 3 months remained at > 50% among MSM and at > 55% among heterosexuals. In multinomial logistic regression, IDUs (vs. men who have sex with men; MSM) had a lower risk of all AIDS statuses; heterosexuals (vs. MSM) had a higher risk of AIDS events ≤ 3 months after HIV diagnosis.ConclusionThe magnitude of AIDS in Taiwan has been stable since 2002. Enhancing early diagnosis among people with sexual contact and optimizing the HIV care continuum among heterosexuals and IDUs should be priorities for further AIDS prevention strategies.

Autocorrelation and spatiotemporal clusters of HIV/AIDS patients in Rongchang District, Chongqing

Objective To analyze the spatiotemporal distribution and clusters characteristics of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients in Rongchang District of Chongqing from 2014 to 2019, we provide reference for relevant departments to clarify the focus of AIDS prevention and control and rationally allocate medical and health resources. Methods Newly identified HIV/AIDS in Rongchang Area from 2014 to 2019 were selected from the National HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Information System. We inputted data into GeoDa 0.95i software for carry out spatial empirical bayesian smoothing and autocorrelation analysis, and into Satscan 9.3 software for statistical analysis of spatial scanning, and finally geographic information system was used for visualization. Results A total of 1 476 new cases of HIV/AIDS were reported in Rongchang District during 2014–2019. The proportion of cases over the aged ≥50 years reported in each year ranged from 58.74% to 68.92%, and increased year by year (χ 2 trend = 4.524, P = 0.033). There was a positive spatial autocorrelation in the spatial distribution of the HIV/AIDS reporting rate for each year (Moran’s I > 0, P<0.05). The areas with the most serious HIV/AIDS epidemics, including urban areas (Changyuan Street, Changzhou Street) and the neighboring Fenggao Street, Wanling Town, Zhisheng Town and other towns (streets) in the east were Rongchang AIDS-endemic areas, were identified with both the local Moran’s I index and spatiotemporal scan statistics. Conclusion Geographical differences and spatial clustering were identified in HIV/AIDS cases in Rongchang District. For the further prevention and control of the hot-spot regions expanding, the government must strengthen monitoring of the migrating population in hotspots, and strengthen AIDS interventions for middle-aged and elderly people and low-fee sex workers, while further standardize the follow-up management of AIDS in medical institutions at all levels. 摘要：目的 了解2014—2019年重庆市荣昌区艾滋病病毒 ( human immunodeficiency virus, HIV) 感染者和艾滋病 (acquired immune deficiency syndrome, AIDS) 病人(简称HIV/AIDS)的时空分布和聚类特征, 为相关部门明确艾滋病防 控重点及合理配置医疗卫生资源提供参考依据。 方法 在全国艾滋病综合防治信息系统选择2014—2019年现住址为 重庆市荣昌区的HIV/AIDS新发病例信息,导人GeoDa 0.95i软件进行空间经验贝叶斯平滑和空间自相关分析, 导人 Satscan 9.3软件进行时空扫描分析;采用地理信息系统(GIS)实现结果的可视化展示。 结果 2014—2019年, 荣昌区累 计报告HIV/AIDS新发病例1 476例, 各年报告的≥50岁病例数占全部病例的58.74% ~ 68.92%,, 并呈逐年上升趋势 (χ 2 趋势=4.524, P=0.033)。各年HIV/AIDS报告率空间分布均存在正向自相关性 (Moran’s I>0, P<0.05) 。局域空间自相 关和时空扫描统计量综合分析显示城区(昌元街道、昌州街道)和邻近的峰高街道、万灵镇、直升镇等乡镇 (街道)为荣 昌区AIDS流行地区。 结论 荣昌区HIV/AIDS新发病例在地理空间分布上存在聚集性, 各级政府应重点加强城区和邻 近城乡结合部热点区域流动人口 HIV的监测以及中老年人群和低档暗娼人群艾滋病的干预力度, 同时进一步规范各 级医疗机构艾滋病随访管理工作, 防止热点区域的扩大和HIV/AIDS的蔓延。

FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI PENGETAHUAN REMAJA DALAM PENCEGAHAN HIV AIDS DI SMA N 7 KOTA PEKANBARU TAHUN 2018

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) attracted the attention of the health community for the first time in 1981 after the discovery of cases such as Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia and Kaposi's Sarcoma. After going through the research process it turns out that HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus that causes these cases. HIV is a group of Retroviruses that attack the human immune system, while the collection of certain clinical conditions that are the end result of HIV infection is called AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) (S.A. Price, 2006). According to (BKKBN, 2010), approximately 50% of people with AIDS in Indonesia are adolescent age groups. During adolescence often arises a sense of wanting to try this is important for adolescent reproductive health. Behavior of wanting to try new things if encouraged by sexual stimulation can bring adolescents into premarital sex with one of the consequences of transmission of venereal diseases including HIV / AIDS (Kumalasari, I, Andhyantoro, 2012). The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that influence adolescent knowledge in preventing HIV and AIDS in SMA N 7 Pekanbaru City. This research is an analytic research with Cross Sectional approach where the independent variables are Age, Attitude, Source of Information while the dependent variable is Youth Knowledge. The sampling technique was stratified with 83 respondents. The results of the study were calculated using the Chi Square statistical test results with a value of α 5% obtained results Age (p value 0.017 and OR 3.4), Attitude (p value 0.003 and OR 4.3), Information Sources (p values ​​0, 003 and OR 3.9) . Then Ho is rejected and Ha is accepted where there is a relationship between Age, Attitude, source of information with Youth Knowledge in HIV AIDS prevention. It is necessary to increase health promotion by involving cross-sectors to the community, especially school adolescents by providing counseling about HIV AIDS, including prevention of sexually transmitted diseases in order to reduce the transmission of HIV AIDS

Awareness of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and Its Influencial Factors among College Students in Universities Implementing "Red Ribbon in Colleges" Event across China

Objective To investigate the college students'awareness of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and its influencial factors in universities implementing "Red Ribbon in Colleges" event.Methods A multistage random sampling method was used to select 2057 students from 8 universities. Among them,1977 students were surveyed by quantitative questionnaires and 80 students were interviewed qualitatively. SPSS 24.0 software was used for data processing and analysis.Results A total of 1977 students was investigated,among whom the overall awareness rate of AIDS-related knowledge was 88.21%. The awareness rate of the three major routes of AIDS transmission (i.e. sexual transmission,blood transmission,and mother-to-child transmission) were more than 90%,and the awareness rate of "Can mosquito bites spread AIDS" was lowest (72.99%). The awareness rate of AIDS-related knowledge was significantly higher among students who had attended the "Red Ribbon in Colleges" event (95.36%,P<0.001),followed by those who had received AIDS prevention education as a freshman (92.22%,P<0.001),had filled in AIDS prevention questionnaires (91.42%,P<0.001),and had attended other AIDS-related health education events in schools or colleges (91.36%,P<0.001),and the differences were statistically significant when compared with students who had not attended any of these events. Multivariate unconditional Logistic regression analysis showed that attending the "Red Ribbon in Colleges" event (OR=2.973,95%CI=1.684-5.249,P<0.001),receiving AIDS prevention education as a freshman (OR=2.944,95%CI=2.073-4.181,P<0.001),attending other AIDS-related health education in schools or colleges (OR=1.590,95%CI=1.141-2.217,P=0.006),majoring in engineering disciplines (OR=2.756,95%CI=1.846-4.114,P<0.001),junior students (OR=1.916,95%CI=1.216-3.020,P=0.005),living in central China (OR=1.868,95%CI=1.085-3.218,P=0.024),and living in northern China (OR=1.774,95%CI=1.159-2.716,P=0.008) were favourable factors for high awareness rate. Qualitative analysis indicated that students rated highly of the "Red Ribbon in Colleges" event.Conclusion The "Red Ribbon in Colleges" event and other AIDS education programs help to increase the college students'awareness of AIDS-related knowledge.

Intervention programmes for HIV and AIDS prevention: a study of in- school adolescents in Orlu Senatorial Zone of Imo State, Nigeria

Background: Helpful strategies to prevent human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) among adolescents remain the greatest challenge in developing countries including Nigeria. In Nigeria, interventions for preventing HIV and AIDS for in-school adolescents are limited. This study used class-room instruction (CI) and drama (DR) for HIV and AIDS prevention among in-school adolescents in Orlu Senatorial Zone.Methods: A quasi-experimental design using 165 students from three randomly selected co-educational secondary schools was adopted. Two experimental groups (CI and DR) and a control group were used for the study. Baseline data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire with 29-point knowledge and 9-point attitudinal scales. Knowledge was analysed using the scores &lt;15 and ≥15 for low and high knowledge respectively. For attitude, scores of &lt;5 and ≥5 were categorised as negative and positive respectively. The results for baseline studies were used to design interventions that were implemented for 8 weeks. Also, mid-term and follow-up evaluations were conducted during the study. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test and ANOVA at p=0.05.Results: The mean ages of the respondents in CI, DR and control groups were 13.4±1.2, 13.9±1.5 and 13.8±1.2 years respectively. Knowledge scores on HIV and AIDS at baseline were 20.5±2.7, 20.4±2.6 and 21.1±2.7 for CI, DR and Control groups respectively. These scores increased to 22.7±2.7, 22.6±1.8 and 21.2±0.3 at mid-term for CI, DR and control, respectively. At follow-up, scores for CI and DR increased to 23.9±1.8 and 24.5±1.4 respectively while the score for the control dropped to 20.0±2.8. Scores for attitude for CI, DR and control groups during baseline study were 5.3±1.4, 4.9±1.5 and 5.3±1.0 respectively. For mid-term, attitude scores were 5.1±1.2, 5.0±0.9 and 4.7±1.5 for CI, DR and control respectively while scores for follow-up were 5.3±1.2, 5.6±0.7 and 4.5±1.2, indicating greater increase among the intervention groups than that of control.Conclusions: Based on the results of the study, drama yielded more positive outcomes in both knowledge gained and in attitudinal change among in-school adolescents than classroom instruction. Drama intervention is therefore, an important HIV and AIDS prevention strategy for in- school adolescents.

The spatial distribution pattern of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome in China

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) exhibit variable patterns among the provinces of China. Knowledge of the geographical distribution of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is needed for the prevention and control of AIDS. Thus, the cumulative number of reported cases of HIV/AIDS from the period 1985-2013, and the incidence rate of AIDS in 2013 were determined. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and hotspot analysis were conducted using ArcGIS10.2 to explore the spatial distribution of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Both the thematic map and the global spatial autocorrelation Moran's I statistics revealed a clustered distribution of the spatial pattern. A local spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated hotspots of AIDS incidence rate that were confined to the provinces of Guangxi, Yunnan and Sichuan. The hotspots encompassed Guangxi and Yunnan, while Henan Province displayed a negative autocorrelation with more variable numbers that included neighbouring regions. The Getis-Ord Gi* statistics identified 6 hotspots and 8 coldspots for the incidence of AIDS, and 7 hotspots and 1 coldspot for the cumulative number of reported cases of HIV/AIDS. The spatial distribution pattern of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in China is clustered, demonstrating hotspots located in the Southwest. Specific interventions targeting provinces with severe HIV/AIDS epidemic are urgently needed.

The Design and Application of the Information Management Platform for the Prevention and Control of AIDS on the Basis of the Residents' Health Records

Relying on the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) prevention and control system of project areas and existing health information network, according to the requirements of prevention and treatment of AIDS, and the "National Norms of Basic Public Health Services" as well as the "Community Comprehensive Prevention and Control of Major Contagious Diseases Programs and Procedures" and other regulatory requirements, this project, based on the residents' health records, using B/Sstructure, SSHframe, MVCmodel, ORACLE 10.0 database, is to develop residents' health records information management platform for the comprehensive prevention and control of AIDS, and make the existing AIDS epidemic system, the hospital information management system, residents' health records and health information system interconnected. It contributes to the participation of the administrative department of health, centers for disease control and prevention, hospital and community, and easily promotes organizations to provide technical support for the prevention and control system of AIDS. The platform has been successfully run in five project regions in Henan province, and has established 2, 365, 802 residents' health records about HIV/AIDS prevention and control, produced a good social and economic benefits. Its outlook is promising.

Exploring obstacles of administrating AIDS control and prevention strategies in Iran.

Executing a strategy is a complicate process that seeks to reach the best results for guarantee some achievements. To explore barriers related to executing diseases prevention and control, is crucial to resolve weakness and improve administration of therapeutic procedure. This study aims to explore obstacles of implementing acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) prevention and control strategies in Mazandaran province of Iran. This cross sectional study was conducted during 2012. The samples included 130 managers, experts and employees of Mazandaran University of Medical science of Iran and the other organization and agencies participating in an AIDS national program. The data were analysed by the chi-square method through SPSS software. The results showed that among eight factors of obstacles of implementing strategy including educational, technological, cultural, communication, legal, political, organizational and economic factors, technology and political issues are recognized as obstacles. Technology as an inter-organizational factor and political factors as out-organizational factors, could affect the successful executing of AIDS control and prevention strategies, therefore the health care providers should pay more attention on these matters.

Basic sociological concepts, attitude, perception and effects on propagating the message of HIV and AIDS prevention and control on engineering student of some selected tertiary institutions in Ekiti State, Nigeria

This study centres on the basic sociological concepts, attitudes, perception and its effects on propagating the message of the dreaded disease called human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) prevention and control using engineering student from selected tertiary institution in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. HIV and AIDS prevention was examined prior and after HIV and AIDS education programme. It was discovered that majority of the students were aware of this deadly disease, but larger proportion of this class of students did not believe in necessity for the propagating the message of HIV and AIDS prevention due to either misconception or lack of proper awareness about the virus. This study revealed that HIV and AIDS education is essential to correct the students’ opinion, attitudes and perception about propagating the message of its prevention. The students’ levels of academic and awareness about the disease are also significant factors that could enhance their willingness to participate in propagating the message. Key words: Attitude, perception, propagation, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), control.

The individual and contextual impact of a school-based exhibition for AIDS prevention: A mixed methodology approach

Objective: To consider the short- and medium-term impact of a school-based exhibition of prevention materials designed by adolescents in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) knowledge and attitudes and in the school’s involvement in health education. Design: Mixed-methodology that combines quantitative and qualitative methods to consider short- and medium-term impact of a school-based HIV prevention project. Setting: Thirteen basic and secondary schools across Portugal, randomly selected. Method: A one-group pre–posttest design study in 13 schools addressing changes in adolescents’ HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes as mediated by gender and age, followed by a replicated field study design. Expert interviews and focus groups with teachers, school staff, students, and parents to explore medium-term impact. Results: The project was effective in promoting students’ AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes, especially for girls and younger adolescents. The project also inspired the participating schools to develop initiatives in the field of AIDS education. Conclusions: The paper demonstrates how AIDS education in the school context can be effective, but research must guarantee the quality of data collection instruments, consider the diversity and heterogeneity of adolescents as a target group, and disseminate the project’s results in the school’s context.

HIV/AIDS Public Service Advertisements in Tamil Nadu - A Study

Public service advertisement (PSA) is one of the primary methods for disseminating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) prevention messages in Tamil Nadu. In this paper, televised HIV/AIDS public service advertisements, which are part of HIV/AIDS campaigns, are analysed, and their recall and reception are crosschecked with urban women slum dwellers through an interview method. The study concludes that a continuing campaign presence is necessary to reinforce and sustain behaviour such as condom use. And behaviour change can be achieved using a constant supply of novel messages on AIDS prevention to maintain attention.

Articulating a rights-based approach to HIV treatment and prevention interventions.

Since the beginning of the epidemic, the protection of human rights has been an integral component in the response to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The high degree of stigma and discrimination associated with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has made human rights protection not only a priority to ensure the rights of people living with and at-risk for HIV, but to address public health goals as well. Advances in understanding the impact of antiretroviral treatment on HIV prevention provide exciting opportunities and even a paradigm shift in terms of AIDS prevention. However, this potential cannot be reached unless the advancement of human rights is a primary component of treatment and prevention programme and policy development. The use of antiretroviral treatment as prevention reinforces the value of basic principles related to the dignity and agency of people living with HIV to participate in the design and implementation of programmes, to be informed and to make informed decisions about their health and lives, to be protected from harm, and to have opportunities to seek redress and accountability for abuses. The possibility of using HIV treatment as a prevention tool means that now, more than ever, legal reform and community empowerment and mobilisation are necessary to realize the rights and health of people affected by HIV.

Computational analysis of HIV-1 resistance based on gene expression profiles and the virus-host interaction network.

A very small proportion of people remain negative for HIV infection after repeated HIV-1 viral exposure, which is called HIV-1 resistance. Understanding the mechanism of HIV-1 resistance is important for the development of HIV-1 vaccines and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) therapies. In this study, we analyzed the gene expression profiles of CD4+ T cells from HIV-1-resistant individuals and HIV-susceptible individuals. One hundred eighty-five discriminative HIV-1 resistance genes were identified using the Minimum Redundancy-Maximum Relevance (mRMR) and Incremental Feature Selection (IFS) methods. The virus protein target enrichment analysis of the 185 HIV-1 resistance genes suggested that the HIV-1 protein nef might play an important role in HIV-1 infection. Moreover, we identified 29 infection information exchanger genes from the 185 HIV-1 resistance genes based on a virus-host interaction network analysis. The infection information exchanger genes are located on the shortest paths between virus-targeted proteins and are important for the coordination of virus infection. These proteins may be useful targets for AIDS prevention or therapy, as intervention in these pathways could disrupt communication with virus-targeted proteins and HIV-1 infection.

HIV denial in the Internet era.

It may seem remarkable that 23 years after the identification of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) there is still denial that the virus is the cause of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). This denial was highlighted on an international level in 2000 when South African president Thabo Mbeki convened a group of panelists to discuss the cause of AIDS acknowledging that he remained unconvinced that was the cause. His ideas were derived at least partly from material he found on the Internet. Though Mbeki agreed later that year to step back from the debate he subsequently suggested a re-analysis of health spending with a decreased emphasis on HIV/AIDS. denial has taken root in the general population and has shown its potential to frustrate public education efforts and adversely affect public funding for AIDS research and prevention programs. For example the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) was for many years on the front lines of AIDS education and activism. But now a San Francisco chapter of the group has joined the denialist movement stating on its Web site that HIV does not cause AIDS... antibody tests are fl awed and dangerous...AIDS drugs are poison. (excerpt)