Seriousness Of HIV Research Articles

Perception and Behavior of PLWHA towards Out-of-Pocket Costs when Accessing Antiretroviral Treatment

Out-of-pocket costs are defined as direct and indirect costs when accessing antiretroviral (ARV) treatment at healthcare centers that aren’t subsidized by the government. While ARV treatment can be accessed for free, costs for diagnostic tests, consultation, and treatment for opportunistic infections are the main factor behind the low number of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) accessing ARV treatment post-diagnosis. This study aims to understand PLWHA’s behaviors that are related to ARV treatment access based on perceived barriers to out-of-pocket costs. This study used a qualitative approach with 8 PLWHA informants and 1 healthcare worker informant that works at a care, support, and treatment (CST) clinic at a private hospital. This study was conducted for four months from August to November 2021. Results found that behaviors in accessing ARV treatment in PLWHA are influenced by their perceived seriousness of HIV, perceived barriers in the national healthcare insurance referral process, and self-efficacy. Perceived out-of-pocket cost barriers were not identified as the informants’ reason for deciding to start ARV treatment or discontinue ARV treatment. This study recommends increasing the availability of clinical psychologists that can provide psychological support for PLWHA, specifically within the first 6 months of diagnosis, supplemented by peer support groups.

HIV Knowledge and Risk Behaviors Among Older Church-Affiliated Blacks.

There is an emerging population of older adults living with HIV, and among them, Black older adults experience the greatest burden of the disease. This is a growing public health concern, as older adults are disproportionately diagnosed at a later stage of the disease, while reporting similar risk factors as younger adults. It has also been shown that the Black Church is well positioned to offer health screenings. Thus, this study aimed to assess HIV knowledge, beliefs, and risk behaviors of older church-affiliated Black adults. Data were collected from a sample of Black adults (N = 543) from four predominately Black churches in Kansas City, MO. Participants were surveyed on measures assessing demographic characteristics, HIV knowledge and attitudes, and HIV testing and risk behaviors. Results indicated that compared to younger Black adults, Black older adults were less knowledgeable about the transmission of HIV and were less willing to be tested for HIV in church settings. However, there was no significant difference on the perceived seriousness of HIV in the community. Results further showed that Black older adults were less likely to use condoms/barriers during the past 6 months and over their lifetime. We discuss the implications of results for HIV intervention programs.

Gay Men's Perspectives on HIV Prevention and Treatment in Berlin, Germany: Lessons for Policy and Prevention

ABSTRACTQualitative data from interviews with gay men in Berlin, Germany were used to identify challenges facing HIV prevention and treatment as well as opportunities to improve them. In 2015, 20 self-identified gay men in Berlin—who had all received HIV prevention services and/or treatment (broadly defined)—participated in 1-on-1 qualitative interviews (30–75 min long). Ages ranged from 24 to 54, 35% self-identified as HIV-positive, and the remainder as HIV-negative. With regard to challenges to HIV prevention, participants highlighted (a) an already high HIV burden among gay men in Berlin and thus a need for doing prevention with positives (test-and-treat, and treatment as prevention); (b) the lack of a universal free condom distribution program; and (c) relaxed attitudes around the seriousness of HIV as a result of HIV treatment optimism. Participants highlighted that although condoms are an effective HIV prevention strategy (and thus certainly an area for focus), HIV prevention campaigns would benefit from updates with regard to embracing a diverse range of biological and behavioral prevention strategies, as well as expanded methods for making access to postexposure prophylaxis and free rapid HIV-antibody testing. This study informs HIV prevention approaches in Berlin, Germany as well as other urban centers where MSM are disproportionally affected by the HIV epidemic.

Knowledge about HIV and AIDS among Young Women

HIV and AIDS are a major health concern among women worldwide. It is important that women especially youths are educated about HIV and AIDS because they represent a window of opportunity for reversing HIV rates if effective prevention programs can reach them before they engage in risky sexual behaviour. Women are more vulnerable to HIV infection than men and play a central role in the concept of the family, in nurturing, protecting, and caring for the family. The aim of the study was to explore HIV and AIDS knowledge among young women. A qualitative exploratory approach using focus group discussions was used and content analysis was used to interpret the data. A total of 8 focus group discussions were conducted two study sites intervention and control site. The analysis revealed 6 themes namely definition of HIV and AIDS, seriousness of HIV and AIDS in the community, signs and symptoms, transmission of HIV, cure for HIV and AIDS and prevention. The findings showed that some participants had knowledge deficit on HIV and AIDS, therefore continued community sensitisation is essential.

Fear of HIV Susceptibility Influencing Burden of Care among Nurses in South-East Nigeria

HIV/AIDS currently is a major cause of disability and mortality especially in sub-Saharan Africa. As the population affected by HIV/AIDS increases, so does the burden of this chronic disease and the challenges associated with caring. HIV scourge in Nigeria has been overwhelming since 1992 with debilitating impacts and this study presents the extent of fear of susceptibility and the level of caregivers burden among Nigerian nurses. To direct the study, three special objectives and one hypothesis were raised, which were to determine the extent of fear of susceptibility and perceived seriousness of HIV, to ascertain the percentage of nurses who tested to know their HIV status and the associated level of caregivers burden among nurses. The study also determined the relationship between fear of susceptibility and caregiver’s burden. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 210 nurses caring for people living with HIV/AIDS in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Structured questionnaires and relevant validated scales such as Zarit Burden Interview [1] and abridged Champion Health Belief Model Scale [2] were used to elicit data. Results revealed that the majority of 41.0% respondents nursed fear of susceptibility despite the practice of universal precaution and perceived HIV as a serious and life threatening infection, 36.0% were not sure of their experience and 23% had no fear of HIV. 33.8% respondents experienced mild to moderate level of burden, 27.2% respondents experienced moderate to severe level of burden while 15.7% experienced severe burden. A Chi Square value of 68.2 at P

Perceptions of HIV/AIDS in One’s Community Predict HIV Testing

Using a subsample of respondents to the 2005 Los Angeles County health survey, we examined the relationship between perceptions of the seriousness of HIV/AIDS in one’s community and HIV testing. We constructed a propensity score-based matched sample of three groups with differing perceptions of the seriousness of HIV in their community: high perceived seriousness, low perceived seriousness, and uncertain about seriousness. We compared HIV testing behavior in the three groups before and after using propensity score matching to control for selection on observed covariates. The unadjusted comparison showed a testing rate of 30.2 % among those perceiving high seriousness, 11.4 percentage points higher than the 18.8 % testing rate among those perceiving low seriousness. After propensity score matching, the adjusted testing difference was 7.0 percentage points (p < 0.05). Those uncertain about the seriousness of HIV did not differ significantly in their testing behavior from those perceiving high seriousness.

Barebacking websites: electronic environments for reducing or inducing HIV risk

Barebacking, or intentional unprotected anal intercourse (UAI), among men who have sex with men (MSM) has been a growing concern for the public health community because of UAIs link to HIV incidence and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Men who bareback have created online spaces through websites that host thousands of profiles throughout the US and world. Adapting two domains from person-environment theory, this study contrasted the health messages surrounding the risks of UAI within two mainstream US-based barebacking websites. One website developed intensive systems to promote harm reduction, such as encouraging frequent HIV-testing, discussing STIs with partners, and limiting the number of partners. In contrast, the other site analysed negated the seriousness of HIV and STIs, which can have clear negative outcomes for patrons whom relied on this information. This analysis implicates the need to explore electronic environments as viable tools for HIV prevention and programme development.

Sexual sensation seeking, reduced concern about HIV and sexual risk behaviour among gay men in primary relationships

Gay and bisexual men who indicated they were currently in a primary relationship with another man (N=230) completed measures of HIV treatment attitudes, sexual risk behaviour and sexual sensation seeking. Results indicate non-primary partner sexual activity is common in many gay relationships and men in non-exclusive relationships possessed greater levels of sexual sensation seeking and treatment-related reduced concern about the dangerousness of HIV than men in exclusive relationships. Results also suggest that individuals who were members of HIV-seroconcordant relationships were more likely to engage in unprotected sexual activity with their primary sexual partners than gay men who were members of HIV-discordant couples. A series of regression analyses revealed that reduced concern about HIV mediated the relationship between sexual sensation seeking and sexual risk behaviour. The next generation of HIV prevention interventions must address the attitudinal shifts that have occurred among some gay men regarding the seriousness of HIV and should be sensitive to the dynamics of gay relationships.

Knowledge and sexual behaviour related to HIV and AIDS of female sex workers in Singapore

A survey among 806 brothel-based sex workers found that over 90 per cent were well informed of the seriousness of HIV and AIDS, modes of transmission and the effectiveness of condom use. Although the majority (73 per cent) always negotiated condom use with clients, they were successful with only half of them. Perceived barriers and low self-efficacy, rather than lack of knowledge, were found to be related to condom negotiation. Sex workers should be taught improved negotiation skills, and health education should be targeted at clients and brothel keepers to promote condom use.