Ajar-African Journal of Aids Research最新文献

South African youth are one of the highest risk groups, globally, for HIV acquisition. Identifying prevention methods that will be acceptable and used consistently is an urgent priority. Engaging youth as co-designers is a targeted strategy to achieve the goal of developing prevention products that meet youth's needs. The iPrevent study engaged male and female youth, aged 18-24 years, in Cape Town, South Africa, to co-design critical aspects of the research project aimed at understanding youth preferences for long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). An established advisory board of young men who have sex with men, women who have sex with men and men-who-have-sex-with-men, as well as a purposively selected youth cohort were involved in film-making, survey design and interpretation of study results. Convening youth as co-designers had several impacts on iPrevent's approach and outputs. Youth input informed the use of local actors in the study's educational video, creating a "real-world" community setting that meaningfully situated the content. Their participation led to the successful development of survey language and images to explain scientific concepts in terms that would resonate (e.g. chili peppers to express product-associated pain). Lastly, their insight reviewing results led to clarifications around misinterpretations of risk perception and confirmed youth's desires for products that fit into their goals around family, future happiness and education. The engagement of youth through creative, interactive activities contributed to adaptations of the study design, research implementation and understanding of results. This was important for connecting with young end-users and translating study findings for product developers in a way that reflected the context of their lives.

HIV and AIDS has developed as one of the urgent problems affecting many youths in Africa. Yet many of the knowledge and awareness programmes aimed at young people do not target high schools where the majority of young people are found. As a result, many youths do not have accurate information on HIV and AIDS that they can use to protect themselves from the disease. The objectives of this study were to determine the knowledge and awareness of Sixth Form students regarding the spread of HIV and AIDS among young people. A study was carried out among Sixth Form students in three schools in Harare from October 2017 to November 2017. A total of 156 students participated in the survey. Results showed that most students (74%) obtained their information on HIV and AIDS from television and radio programmes. Most students (92%) were able to identify unprotected sexual intercourse as the major mode of HIV transmission, while 89% said that HIV could be transmitted through sharing injections. Some students had misconceptions about HIV and AIDS which might negatively influence their behaviour and attitude towards HIV and AIDS, for example, 11% of students said HIV and AIDS could be cured. The study concludes that programmes on awareness and knowledge application in schools are limited, and efforts should be increased to help students effectively apply the knowledge they have about HIV and AIDS in everyday life situations, and protect themselves from the disease.

Aim: The aim of the current study was to explore correlations between continuous physical activity (PA) levels and HIV-related stigma and differences in HIV-related stigma between those who meet versus those who do not meet the international PA recommendation of 150 min of PA per week at moderate intensity.Methods: 295 people living with HIV (PLHIV) (median [interquartile range] age = 37.0 [16.0]; 67.8% [n = 200] female) from central Uganda completed the Internalised AIDS-Related Stigma Scale (IA-RSS), Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Physical Activity Vital Sign (PAVS).Results: There was a significant correlation between the PAVS and IA-RSS scores correcting for GAD-7, PHQ-9 and AUDIT scores (r = -0.15, p = 0.009). The IA-RSS score was also significantly different between those meeting versus not meeting PA guidelines.Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that higher internalised HIV-related stigma is associated with lower levels of physical activity. The current evidence demonstrates the need to explore whether HIV stigma-reduction interventions could improve physical activity participation and consequently physical and mental health outcomes in PLHIV.

Barriers to treatment faced by people living with HIV (PLWH) have been well explored in the literature. Despite the importance of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the treatment of HIV and prevention of AIDS, in the Ghanaian context only about 32% of infected persons have access to treatment. This underscores a need to understand the experiences of PLWH receiving ART to provide baseline information for policymakers' efforts to increase access to treatment. This study captures the voices of PLWH who were receiving ART in Ghana. A total of 35 participants receiving treatment in a hospital setting (11 males, 24 females; mean age 38 years, age range 21-60 years) took part in semi-structured face-to-face interviews to discuss their opinions about the cause of their HIV infection and its impact on their lives. The study found that the participants were susceptible to discrimination in their communities and at health care facilities. Some participants experienced marriage breakdowns, unemployment, social isolation, and were unable to perform everyday chores and responsibilities. Concerted efforts to address the barriers to treatment faced by PLWH are needed.

Risk perception is embedded in attitudes and beliefs that determine how one ultimately behaves. In relation to HIV-risk behaviours, risk perception is a key dimension in most health behaviour models used to construct health promotion campaigns. This study aimed to understand HIV-risk perception and associated factors among men who have sex with men (MSM). The qualitative data used in this study came from 15 in-depth interviews with MSM studying at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. The findings show that MSM perceive themselves to be at risk for HIV due to their awareness of the main routes of infection. This perception exists because HIV has affected them through the loss of close family members. With each sexual encounter, risk perception changed based on factors such as the sexual role being assumed (insertive versus receptive), the socio-economic status of the partner, perceived level of discriminatory dating patterns, and the use of preventive measures. High levels of risk perception among the men did not translate into positive attitudes towards condoms as many of them preferred to have unprotected sex with trusted partners. Despite perceiving their risk of HIV infection to be high, MSM continue to engage in multiple sexual partnerships and high partner turnover. However, the men in this study were keen to protect their health; with time, they have developed more positive attitudes towards HIV and they understand that it is possible to protect oneself before and after infection.