Digital Commons Network^™

Adherence To Antiretroviral Medicines Among Adolescents And Young Adults In Benue State, Nigeria, Amom Tor-Anyiin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adherence to ARV medicines is essential to halt HIV progression, increase CD4 counts, decrease virologic impact, and improve quality of life for the infected people. However, sustaining good adherence among adolescents and young adults (AYA) has been a challenge caused by various problems such as distance to clinic, improved CD4 count which lead to complacency in adherence, and the nature of the environment. This was a quantitative, retrospective, correlational, cross-sectional study anchored by the transtheoretical model, which was used to understand how adherence rate among the study population was impacted by the predictive factors. Secondary data was collected from patient's …

Assessing Condom Use Among Navajo Men In The Southwest, Terra E. Yabeny

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Navajo tribe reports extraordinarily high number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexual populations. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the cultural value of adil' idli (self-respect) and how this cultural practice might influence health behaviors in sexual activity, condoms use, and acquiring of STDs among Navajo men. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was the theoretical foundation for providing a deeper understanding of the social, environmental, and cultural factors of condom use among Navajo men. Research questions …

Challenges Of Aging With The Hiv Virus And Comorbidities, Rommie Navylia Abele

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy, the survival rate of infected HIV patients has been on the rise with a predicted increase by 2030. The longer a person lives with the virus, the more prone to HIV-associated chronic diseases he or she becomes, but it is not clear whether these diseases are solely from aging with the virus or from long-term use of antiretroviral therapy. Scientists demonstrated that the introduction of antiretroviral therapy led to an increased life expectancy yet early onset of comorbidities; however, they failed to address the challenges that people 50 years old or older face, as …

Factors Influencing Use Of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Men Who Have Sex With Men, Justin B. Terry-Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prevention is key to keeping men who have sex with men (MSM) protected from Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Despite new and innovative HIV prevention resources such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), factors such as education level, employment status, number of sexual partners, and access to health resources may inhibit certain populations from using PrEP. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between education level, employment status, number of sexual partners, and access to health resources and the use of PrEP among MSM. The fundamental cause theory was used to examine how socioeconomic barriers are associated with the …

Effects Of Stigma On The Use Of Spirituality By Older Black Men Living With Hiv, Warren Lee Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research on HIV stigma and the use of spirituality by people living with HIV/AIDS is scarce. Moreover, the research with older Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) is scant. The focus of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of BMSM living with HIV aged 50 and older with encounters of HIV stigma on the use of spirituality. The research questions were designed to explore the lived experiences of aging, HIV stigma, and spirituality. Conceptually, this study was framed within the minority stress theory and the HIV stigma framework. Data were collected through …

Exploring Restorative Factors For Trafficked And Sexually Exploited Women, Carol C. Chilaka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Many women who survived sex trafficking continue to suffer from severe and persistent psychological distress even after the traditional treatment and rehabilitation program. The lingering psychological symptoms that these survivors suffer make reintegration into their families and communities difficult. This phenomenological study identified the restorative factors that helped some women who were earlier engaged in sex trafficking to recover, readjust, and reintegrate into their families and communities. Six female survivors of human trafficking and six program directors/counselors at different rehabilitation centers were individually interviewed in in-depth with semi-structured questionnaires and audio recorded. I kept diary of my readings and …