1,720,971 research outputs found
Perceptions and Experiences about Self-Disclosure of HIV Status among Adolescents with Perinatal Acquired HIV in Poor-Resourced Communities in South Africa
No full textBackground. There is limited research on the disclosure experiences of adolescents with perinatal acquired HIV (PAH). The study explores how adolescents with PAH experience living with HIV and examined their perceptions and experiences regarding disclosure and onward self-disclosure to friends and sexual partners. Methods. Thematic analysis was used to analyze in-depth interviews conducted with 37 adolescents. Findings. Adolescents received disclosure about their status at mean age of 12 years. They perceived disclosure as necessary and appreciated the truthful communication they received. Adolescents have learned to accept and live with HIV, and they desired to be healthy and normal like other people. After receiving disclosure, they found their treatment meaningful, and they adhered to medication. However, they also expressed a strong message that their HIV status was truly their secret and that self-disclosure to others will take the feeling of being normal away from them because they will be treated differently. Conclusion. Adolescents maintained secrecy in order to be accepted by their peers but also to protect themselves from stigma and isolation. Given that adolescents want to be informed of their HIV status but desire controlling self-disclosure of their HIV status, these should form the basis for development of disclosure interventions
Community Perceptions of HIV Stigma, Discriminatory Attitudes, and Disclosure Concerns: A Health Facility-Based Study in Selected Health Districts of South Africa
No full textResearch data about HIV stigma perceptions and discriminatory attitudes among the general population are limited. Furthermore, the willingness of HIV-negative individuals to engage with HIV prevention and disclosure interventions has not been established in South Africa. The study investigated community perceptions of stigma as well as discriminatory attitudes towards HIV disclosure to understand if and how these perceptions might influence the uptake of disclosure interventions. This facility-based study used a validated questionnaire to measure the four constructs of HIV stigma among 670 adults recruited from health districts of two provinces of South Africa. Of these, 72% were female, 87% had ever been tested for HIV, and 31% knew someone who has HIV. Stigma towards people living with HIV (PLHIV) is widespread in the general population. A high proportion (75%) endorsed disclosure concerns, 75% perceived stigma to be common, and 56% endorsed negative statements indicating perceived stigma in communities. Fear, moral and social judgement, and rejection underlined their perceptions about PLHIV. Almost half (45.7%) were unwilling to care for family members sick with AIDS, suggesting negative distancing reactions and discriminatory attitudes towards PLHIV. The widespread discriminatory attitudes and the perceived stigma that is evident in the general population might heighten the disclosure concerns endorsed, promote non-disclosure, and increase HIV transmission. To design interventions, it is crucial to be cognisant of disclosure concerns, discriminatory attitudes, and perceived stigma evident in communities. Thus, the findings underscore the need to increase efforts to challenge and reduce community drivers of negative discriminatory attitudes and perceived stigma
Health care workers’ perspectives about disclosure to HIV-infected children; Cross-sectional survey of health facilities in Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces, South Africa
No full textThe perspectives and practices of health care workers (HCWs) regarding disclosure to HIV-infected children have not been adequately investigated ten years after the roll-out of pediatrics antiretroviral therapy (ART). The aim of the study was to examine the opinions of HCWs about disclosure to HIV-infected children and determine their role in disclosure to children accessing ART in centers in South Africa. This was a cross-sectional survey using a semi-structured questionnaire among HCWs in ART centers at three hospitals and 48 primary health facilities in two provinces in South Africa. Of the 206 HCWs, 140 (68.2%) were nurses, 44 (21.5%) were lay counsellors, and 4 (2%) were doctors. The majority (n=183, 89.3%) felt that disclosure benefits children and they should be told about their HIV status. Over half (n=93, 51.4%) recommended 11-18 years as the appropriate age to disclose. Half (n= 99, 48.5%) said that caregivers should take the lead to disclose, 87 (42.7%) said that disclosure is a shared responsibility of caregivers and HCWs, and 18 (8.8%) said HCWs should lead disclosure. HCWs perceived their role as that of preparing the caregiver for disclosure and the child to understand the disease. However, the lack of guidelines and training on disclosure counselling for children affects their ability to fully participate in disclosure to children. There is a need to adopt t he World Health Organizations’ disclosure guidelines for children and adapt them to the local cultural and community contexts and train HCWs to guide, support, and assist caregivers in their disclosure to HIV-infected children.</jats:p
Parents Support Implementation of HIV Testing and Counseling at School: Cross-Sectional Study with Parents of Adolescent Attending High School in Gauteng and North West Provinces, South Africa
Get PDFBackground. A formative assessment of the implementation of HIV testing and counseling (HTC) at school showed high acceptability and willingness to test among learners. However, the success of the proposed HTC depends on the support and acceptability of key stakeholders, including the parents. The aim of the study was to assess the opinions and acceptability of the implementation of HTC at school among parents of adolescents in high school. Methods. This was a cross-sectional household survey conducted with parents of adolescents attending high schools in educational districts in North West and Gauteng provinces, South Africa. Results. A total of 804 parents participated, and 548 (68.3%) were biological mothers, 85 (10.6%) were fathers, and the remaining were other relatives including grandmothers. Almost all (n=742, 92.9%) parents were in support of implementation and provision of HTC at school, 701 (87.7%) would allow their children to be tested at school, 365 (46%) felt that parental consent was not needed to test at school, and 39.4% preferred to receive the HIV test results with their children. Conclusion. Parents accept the roll-out of an HTC program at school and have a role to play in supporting children who test positive for HIV
Health care workers’ perspectives about disclosure to HIV-infected children; cross-sectional survey of health facilities in Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces, South Africa
Get PDFThe perspectives and practices of health care workers (HCWs) regarding disclosure to HIV-infected children have not been adequately investigated ten years after the roll-out of pediatrics antiretroviral therapy (ART). The aim of the study was to examine the opinions of HCWs about disclosure to HIV-infected children and determine their role in disclosure to children accessing ART in health centers in South Africa. This was a cross-sectional survey using a semi-structured questionnaire among HCWs in ART centers at three hospitals and 48 primary health facilities in two provinces in South Africa. Of the 206 HCWs, 140 (68.2%) were nurses, 44 (21.5%) were lay counsellors, and 4 (2%) were doctors. The majority (n = 183, 89.3%) felt that disclosure benefits children and they should be told about their HIV status. Over half (n = 93, 51.4%) recommended 11–18 years as the appropriate age to disclose. Half (n = 99, 48.5%) said that caregivers should take the lead to disclose, 87 (42.7%) said that disclosure is a shared responsibility of caregivers and HCWs, and 18 (8.8%) said HCWs should lead disclosure. HCWs perceived their role as that of preparing the caregiver for disclosure and the child to understand the disease. However, the lack of guidelines and training on disclosure counselling for children affects their ability to fully participate in disclosure to children. There is a need to adopt the World Health Organizations’ disclosure guidelines for children and adapt them to the local cultural and community contexts and train HCWs to guide, support, and assist caregivers in their disclosure to HIV-infected children
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Diarrhoea among Children Aged 5 Years and Microbial Drinking Water Quality Compliance: Trends Analysis Study in South Africa (2008–2018)
No full textIn developing countries such as South Africa, diarrhoeal diseases are reported to be linked to inadequate drinking water quality, sanitation, and hygiene behaviours. The consumption of microbiologically contaminated drinking water has been reported to cause diarrhoea, mortality, and morbidity in children under the age of five years. This study evaluated the microbiological pathogens detected in municipal drinking water and diarrhoea trends for children under 5 years of age in South Africa between 2008 and 2018. A trends analysis study was conducted using secondary data on diarrhoea for children under the age of five years and microbial drinking water quality compliance. A negative correlation was found between the occurrence of microbial pathogens in water, morbidity, and mortality rates of children under the age of 5 years in South Africa. As compliance status improved, the mortality rate among children under 5 years old decreased by 31% over the study period. A conclusion can thus be drawn that the microbiological pathogens detected in drinking water at levels complying with SANS 241:2015 Edition 2 standards and diarrhoea incidences were not the primary cause of the mortality of children under 5 years old in South Africa between 2008 and 2018
Treatment nonadherence factors among rural South African patients with diabetes mellitus attending primary care facilities
Get PDFIntroduction
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a significant global public health challenge, with effective management relying heavily on patient adherence to treatment protocols. In South Africa, particularly in low-resource settings like the Soweto area in the Johannesburg Health District, treatment nonadherence among diabetic patients is a pressing concern, contributing to poor health outcomes and increased healthcare costs.
Purpose
This study aimed to identify and analyze factors associated with treatment nonadherence among patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus attending primary healthcare facilities in Soweto, Johannesburg Health District, South Africa.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional quantitative study conducted among 490 diabetic patients attending primary healthcare facilities in Soweto using structured anonymous questionnaires. The chi-squared test was used to assess associations between treatment nonadherence and various factors. SPSS version 27 was used to analyze the data.
Results
The average age of the patients was 59 years, and 66% were female. The nonadherence rate among the patients was 31%, with 80% having occasionally missed a dose of their medication. Gender, marital status, monthly household income, number of years living with diabetes, and adherence to diet were significantly associated with nonadherence to diabetes treatment (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
The study highlights the multifaceted nature of treatment nonadherence among diabetic patients in Soweto. Addressing these factors requires a comprehensive approach, including improving patient education, enhancing social support, and addressing socioeconomic barriers
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