Nuanced approaches to HIV/AIDS research

While awareness of HIV and AIDS is almost universal in Ghana, the same cannot be said of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of the disease. This paper assessed the level of knowledge, barriers and attitudes towards PMTCT of HIV/AIDS. Data were gathered through 22 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and 29 In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) with People Living with HIV and AIDS, pregnant women and their partners. Research participants were sampled from twelve cities/towns purposively selected from the three ecological zones in Ghana. The inclusion criteria were border towns, commercial/mining towns/cities and towns/cities with high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates. It was found that people have high knowledge about MTCT but fair knowledge about PMTCT. For pregnant women, the most prominent deterring factor is the fear of being diagnosed HIV positive. Creating widespread community awareness of the full set of behaviours necessary to prevent MTCT is an essential step to improve participation in and adherence to interventions that are part of PMTCT programmes.

In India HIV prevention programs have focused on HIV transmission through unsafe injecting practices with less attention on sexual risk behaviors among injecting drug users (IDU).
Data were obtained from behavioral tracking survey conducted in 2009 among 1712 IDUs in two districts each of Manipur and Nagaland states in North east India. Sexual risk behaviors among IDUs were assessed in terms of multiple sex partners and sex with paid female partner in the last 12 months and inconsistent condom use with female partner. More than one-fourth (27%) in Manipur and almost one in two (47%) IDUs reported having had sex with two or more female partners in the past 12 months. In Manipur where heroin is commonly used, the odds of having multiple sex partners were higher among non-heroin users than heroin users (42% vs. 23%, Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 1.7, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.1-2.6) and who shared needles/syringes in the last one month than who did not share (46% vs. 26%, AOR: 2.2, CI: 1.2-4.0). In Nagaland, where Spasmoproxyvon is most common, regular injectors as compared to occasional injectors were more likely to report multiple sex partners (67% vs. 42%, AOR: 2.7, CI: 1.8-4.1) and sex with paid partners (13% vs. 3%, AOR: 6.0, CI: 3.0-12.1). Sharing of needles/syringes was positively associated with mul

Though India is traditionally perceived to be a 'dry' culture, but alcohol use in some form has always existed in the country and alcohol is an important dimension in sexual violence. Present article tries to study the role of alcohol in contribution sexual risk in different settings and populations across the HIV/AIDS high prevalence state. Data for this study was obtained from the National Family Health Survey, conducted in 2005-06 for 5 High Prevalence states. It was found that women those husband drink alcohol has reported more (2.37 percent) genital sore/ulcer in last 12 months compared to those women (1.39 percent) husband doesn’t drink alcohol in high HIV prevalence states. The analysis proved that alcohol consumption of partner has the high risk (0.99 percent) of getting HIV/AIDS compare to the respondent (0.44 percent) those husbands don’t drink alcohol.

This paper takes a retrospective look at the substantive, theoretical and methodological innovations and contributions of the Malawi/South Africa Journals Project, an archive of over 1200 observational journals from 1999 to the present. The journals provide intensive details of day-to-day rural life in a range of settings, focusing the interactions, interpretations, and challenges that populate informal social networks. The journals provide a longitudinal account of communities, households and individuals coping with the phases of the AIDS epidemic, from the era of highest prevalence, through the expansion of prevention campaigns, to the coming of HIV testing, and, most recently, the rollout of treatment. Using the journals, scholars have been able to identify how ordinary Malawians have negotiated matters of love, risk and death in the face of their knowledge of AIDS, and how local dynamics have shaped the uptake and use of innovations from "outside", ranging from the clinical apparatuses of biomedicine to the "talking technologies" of self-help and support groups. We identify the unique contributions of this extraordinary archive, and consider both its limitations and future directions.

Nigeria, with a population of 134,400,000 citizens, still suffers continuous spread of HIV and other STDs especially amongst adolescents numbering 42,604,800, accounting for 31.7% of the nation’s populace. Despite the efforts of the media to (re)enlighten the masses of the existence and irreversible consequences of the diseases, further spread of the diseases still constitutes a menace to the survival of many. Does this mean that the media messages never reached the target audience(s)? Are the recipients of these messages not literate enough to decode the messages? Random sampling method was adopted with well-structured questionnaire administered to determine socioeconomic determinants of the HIV/AIDS and STDs spread. Perception on the level of success public enlightenment has achieved in curbing further spread of the diseases amongst adolescents was also investigated. Results show that education, income, nearness to counseling centre and perception about the diseases are the significant variables. Respondents suggested that public enlightenment on HIV should incorporate Behaviour Change, Advocacy, and participatory systems of communication to enhance media effect. Recommendations are also made to strengthen media impacts in bringing about behavioural change on the subject matter.

Sexual exploitation and HIV/AIDS epidemic are emerging problems of border provinces between Vietnam and China, where are places of trading, cultural exchange, tourism, hot spots of smuggling and trafficking in people. Girls and young women are often the targets of sexual exploitation, in particular, ethnic minority women and girls. Estimated 70% trafficked victims are sent directly to foreign men, brothels; bars and karaokes…for sexual exploitation as prostitution. They are suffered numerous sexual intercourse and served 15 - 20 clients/ day in brothels. Their owners force them to not use condom in sexual activities with their clients. Therefore, almost prostitutes are infected STDs, and some are HIV/AIDS. The linkage between sexual trafficking and HIV/AIDS transmission is not only violation of fundamental human rights but also increased risk of STIs, HIV/AIDS infection and damages women/girls’lives who are stigmatized and ostracized by their families and communities.
So far, fighting against trafficking in women and girls for sexual exploitation and HIV prevention has not effectively done because of the complexity phenomenon, global sex demand, increasing labor force and a great profit that sexual commerce brings about. Therefore, trafficking women and girls for sexual exploitation has been existing and unbated.

This study was to identify factors that affect survival of HIV/HBV co-infected patients. Data from TASO Uganda was used, and patients who registered with TASO between 2005 and 2010 were followed to determine their survival. The covariates of study were social-demographic and clinical factors. To estimate the survival function for every subgroup of each variable, the product- limit method developed by Kaplan and Meier was used and a log rank test to compare the survivorship functions across several groups. A proportional hazards model was used to examine the joint effect of the covariates on the duration of survival assuming a Gompertz distribution for the time variable. Results revealed the duration of survival for HIV/HBV co-infected patients increased with increasing weight. Patients who had Hepatocellular carcinoma or Cirrhosis at diagnosis were at an increased risk of death as compared to those who had chronic active hepatitis B. Patients on ARVs had an increased death rate as compared to their counter parts. Educated patients had a reduced death rate as compared to the uneducated ones. Therefore, emphasis should be on designing Information Education Communication (IEC) materials to sensitize the uneducated HIV/HBV co-infected patients on effects of non compliance and unbalanced diets.

Objective. This study is aimed at analysing the trend of mention to non-HIV related causes of death in the death certificates of adults who lived with HIV/AIDS in Brazil.
Methods: Data of the deaths occurred in Brazilian adults between 1999 and 2010 were analysed. Standardized mortality odds ratios were used to compare causes of death in individuals who had HIV/AIDS listed on any field of the death certificate with those who deaths who had no mention to this disease.
Results. From 1999 to 2010, 6120670 deaths occurred in adults in Brazil and 2.2% of those had HIV/AIDS mentioned in the death certificate. Causes non-associated with HIV/AIDS, more specifically, cardiovascular diseases, genitourinary diseases and malign presented a steady and significantly larger increase in the frequency with which they were listed as causes of death for individuals who also had HIV listed on the death certificate.
Conclusion. The results suggest that the long cohabition with HIV and HAART might have an important role in the development of non-associated HIV/AIDS diseases in people living with HIV/AIDS.
Key-words: AIDS, HIV, mortality, causes of death, death certificate.

Despite the resultant disutility, some people, in particular the poor, are engaged in behavior carrying social stigma. Empirical economic studies on stigma behavior are rare, largely due to the formidable challenges of collecting data on stigmatized goods and services. In this paper, I examine blood plasma sales in China, widely regarded as a stigmatized behavior, using two primary datasets. The first is a three-wave census-type household survey from 18 villages which enables us to examine the evolving patterns, and determinants of donations. The second is data on detailed gift exchange records of all households in three out of the 18 villages which allows me to define reference groups, measure the intensity of social interactions and identify peer effects using a novel spatial instrument strategy. I find that both peer effects and concern over socioeconomic status influence plasma donation decisions. The intensity of social interactions matters in identification. Peer effects are directional and work through preference interactions that reduce stigma. The results also indicate that families with unmarried sons are more likely to donate plasma in order to offset costs of successfully getting married in a tight marriage market, such as a bigger house, a higher bride price and a more lavish wedding banquet.

Introduction
Study examined extent to which cultural obligations promote violence and discriminations against HIV positive women.

Materials and method:
Data collection instruments were questionnaire, focus group discussion and interview guides. A total sample of 98 HIV positive women in network of people living positively was studied. Five key informants were interviewed to authenticate responses got from women. Data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.
Results
About 59(60%) of the women were ejected from matrimonial homes and 85(86.7%) denied rights to family resources. These women complained of insufficient money to procure ART and food items. As high as 78(79.6%) were aware of risks of unprotected sex, yet 54(55%) of them practised it. Common reason given was that sex attracted money.
Conclusion
Proportion of women with no access to family resources, suggests extensive discrimination, pervasive marginalization, and violence . Therefore, enlightenment seminars are needed to reduce violence on HIV positive women.