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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Strengthening Sti Treatment And Hiv/Aids Prevention Services In Carletonville, South Africa, Lewis Ndhlovu, Catherine Searle, Johannes Van Dam Jan 2004

Strengthening Sti Treatment And Hiv/Aids Prevention Services In Carletonville, South Africa, Lewis Ndhlovu, Catherine Searle, Johannes Van Dam

HIV and AIDS

Although knowledge about HIV/AIDS is widespread in South Africa, adult HIV prevalence is high, indicating high levels of risky sexual behavior. Understanding the gap between knowledge and behavior requires an examination of the social context in which the epidemic occurs. The Horizons Program conducted an intervention study in the Carletonville area to study the social determinants of the HIV epidemic and to assess the impact of a targeted program of HIV and STI prevention and service delivery. In 1998, the Mothusimpilo (“Working together for health”) Intervention Project (MIP) was launched to reduce community prevalence of HIV and other STIs and …


Equitable Access To Hiv Counseling And Testing For Youth In Developing Countries: A Review Of Current Practice, Ann P. Mccauley Jan 2004

Equitable Access To Hiv Counseling And Testing For Youth In Developing Countries: A Review Of Current Practice, Ann P. Mccauley

HIV and AIDS

While many people get HIV-related counseling and testing, only those who receive pre- and post-test counseling, and test voluntarily, are participating in voluntary counseling and testing (VCT). The high rates of HIV infection among youth make it crucial to find programs to prevent infection. Because there is evidence that many adults benefit from VCT, there is increasing interest in extending these services to young people. VCT counseling helps adolescents evaluate their own behavior and its consequences. A negative test result offers the opportunity to recognize vulnerabilities and develop risk-reduction plans to adopt safe behaviors. Young people who test HIV-positive can …


Adherence To Antiretroviral Therapy In Adults: A Guide For Trainers, Horizons Program, International Centre For Reproductive Health, Mombasa Coast Province General Hospital Jan 2004

Adherence To Antiretroviral Therapy In Adults: A Guide For Trainers, Horizons Program, International Centre For Reproductive Health, Mombasa Coast Province General Hospital

HIV and AIDS

Over the last five years, there has been a rapid change in treatment strategies for HIV infection. With the advent of newer antiretrovirals, treatment has moved from mono-therapy and bi-therapy to triple drug therapy or Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy. One of the foremost concerns of ARV programs is the ability of people living with HIV/AIDS to maintain near perfect adherence over the long term. To achieve the goal of antiretroviral therapy (ART), undetectable levels of the virus in the blood, patients are required to maintain more than 90–95% adherence. Adherence is defined as a patient’s ability to follow a treatment …


Intervenciones Comunitarias Y Política Gubernamental Reducen El Riesgo Del Vih En La República Dominicana, Deanna Kerrigan, Luis Moreno, Bayardo Gomez, Hector Jerez, Ellen Weiss, Johannes Van Dam, Eva Roca, Clare Barrington, Michael D. Sweat Jan 2004

Intervenciones Comunitarias Y Política Gubernamental Reducen El Riesgo Del Vih En La República Dominicana, Deanna Kerrigan, Luis Moreno, Bayardo Gomez, Hector Jerez, Ellen Weiss, Johannes Van Dam, Eva Roca, Clare Barrington, Michael D. Sweat

HIV and AIDS

Programas efectivos para evitar nuevas infecciones del VIH entre trabajadoras sexuales y sus parejas, y por lo tanto la población en general, son componentes críticos de estrategias nacionales de prevención del VIH. Generalmente los esfuerzos de prevención se han concentrado en intervenciones que alcanzan a los miembros de estos grupos vulnerables al nivel individual, tal como promoción de condones y manejo de ITS. Actualmente, muchos investigadores y gerentes de programas se encuentran dirigiéndose a intervenciones “ambientales-estructurales” que toman en cuenta los contextos físicos, sociales y políticos en que el comportamiento individual ocurre. Un estudio reciente realizado por Horizons, en conjunto …


Challenges Faced By Households In Caring For Orphans And Vulnerable Children, Population Council Jan 2004

Challenges Faced By Households In Caring For Orphans And Vulnerable Children, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

South Africa has seen a rapid increase in HIV prevalence among the general population over the past ten years, from less than 1 percent in 1990 to 20 percent in 2001. As the HIV/AIDS epidemic increases, so do the number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). In 2002, an estimated five million people were living with HIV/AIDS. Because of the average 10-year period between infection and death, even if HIV prevalence declined rapidly, South Africa would still experience an increasing orphan burden for many years to come. By 2010, 16 percent of all children in South Africa will be orphans …


The Role Of Incentives In Encouraging Workplace Hiv/Aids Policies And Programs, Simon Baker, Srisuman Sartsara, Patchara Rumakom, Philip Guest, Katie D. Schenk, Anthony Pramualratana, Suparat Suksakulwat, Surachai Panakitsuwan, Sikarat Moonmeung Jan 2004

The Role Of Incentives In Encouraging Workplace Hiv/Aids Policies And Programs, Simon Baker, Srisuman Sartsara, Patchara Rumakom, Philip Guest, Katie D. Schenk, Anthony Pramualratana, Suparat Suksakulwat, Surachai Panakitsuwan, Sikarat Moonmeung

HIV and AIDS

This brief examines the role of incentives in encouraging companies in Thailand to adopt workplace policies and programs that address AIDS-related stigma and discrimination and respond to the needs of workers for information and services. The research was a collaboration between the Horizons Program, American International Assurance (AIA), the Thailand Business Coalition on AIDS (TBCA), and AusAID. After the initiative was launched (known as the AIDS-response Standard Organization), TBCA staff built relationships with company managers to explain and promote the advantages of joining. Companies agreeing to implement at least three HIV/AIDS workplace policies would receive a reduction of 5–10 percent …


Attracting Youth To Voluntary Counseling And Testing Services In Uganda, Ann P. Mccauley, Milka Juma, Edward Kirumira, Nelson Kakande, Scott Geibel, C. Hitimana-Lukanika, Daniel Lukenge, Edith Mukisa Jan 2004

Attracting Youth To Voluntary Counseling And Testing Services In Uganda, Ann P. Mccauley, Milka Juma, Edward Kirumira, Nelson Kakande, Scott Geibel, C. Hitimana-Lukanika, Daniel Lukenge, Edith Mukisa

HIV and AIDS

Little is known about the use of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) by youth, a group that comprises more than half of those newly infected with HIV. An exploratory study conducted in Nairobi, Kenya, and Kampala and Masaka in Uganda revealed that young people want information, confidentiality, low-cost HIV testing, and friendly, professional counseling. Two facilities in Kampala, the AIDS Information Center (AIC) and Naguru Teenage Information and Health Center (NTIHC), implemented new youth-oriented strategies to increase VCT utilization and satisfaction with services among young people. In 2001, AIC established a youth corner behind the regular adult clinic with a …


Vulnerability And Intervention Opportunities: Research Findings On Youth And Hiv/Aids In South Africa, Population Council Jan 2004

Vulnerability And Intervention Opportunities: Research Findings On Youth And Hiv/Aids In South Africa, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (NMCF) seeks comprehensive local solutions to address the negative effects of HIV/AIDS on children, adolescents, households, and communities. To this end, NMCF initiated the Goelama Project, which uses a community mobilization strategy to catalyze action by local organizations and government bodies to prevent HIV infection and mitigate the socioeconomic impacts of the disease, particularly as they affect orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). This brief highlights key findings from an assessment of reproductive and sexual health knowledge and behaviors among nearly 5,000 youth from eight districts in three provinces in South Africa where the Goelama Project …


Paving The Path: Preparing For Microbicide Introduction—Report Of A Qualitative Study In South Africa [Executive Summary], Julie Becker, Rasha Dabash, C. Elizabeth Mcgrory, Diane Cooper, Jane Harries, Margaret Hoffman, Jennifer Moodley, Phyllis Orner, Hillary J. Bracken Jan 2004

Paving The Path: Preparing For Microbicide Introduction—Report Of A Qualitative Study In South Africa [Executive Summary], Julie Becker, Rasha Dabash, C. Elizabeth Mcgrory, Diane Cooper, Jane Harries, Margaret Hoffman, Jennifer Moodley, Phyllis Orner, Hillary J. Bracken

HIV and AIDS

With recently accelerated support for the development of microbicides to prevent HIV transmission and the urgency of the global AIDS epidemic, it is important to begin to identify strategies for introducing a microbicide once it is proven safe and effective and is approved for use. This executive summary presents results from a qualitative study that explored a range of issues likely to influence microbicide introduction at the community, health service, and policy levels. The study, which identified critical issues to be addressed in building support for microbicides and facilitating a smooth introduction, was conducted between September 2002 and September 2003 …


Combining Community Approaches And Government Policy To Reduce Hiv Risk In The Dominican Republic, Deanna Kerrigan, Luis Moreno, Bayardo Gomez, Hector Jerez, Ellen Weiss, Johannes Van Dam, Eva Roca, Clare Barrington, Michael D. Sweat Jan 2004

Combining Community Approaches And Government Policy To Reduce Hiv Risk In The Dominican Republic, Deanna Kerrigan, Luis Moreno, Bayardo Gomez, Hector Jerez, Ellen Weiss, Johannes Van Dam, Eva Roca, Clare Barrington, Michael D. Sweat

HIV and AIDS

A recent Horizons study conducted jointly with two Dominican NGOs assessed the impact of two environmental-structural models in reducing HIV-related risk among female sex workers in the Dominican Republic and compared their cost-effectiveness. In the two cities studied, there were improvements from pre- to post-intervention in the key outcome variables, however the type and level of these changes varied by intervention approach. Based on our findings, program planners and policymakers involved in the study in the Dominican Republic agree that the integrated solidarity and policy model in conjunction with ongoing peer education and community mobilization activities is an appropriate, cost-effective, …


Combinando Estrategias Comunitarias Y Política Gubernamental Para Prevenir La Infección Del Vih En La República Dominicana, Deanna Kerrigan, Luis Moreno, Santo Rosario, Bayardo Gomez, Hector Jerez, Ellen Weiss, Johannes Van Dam, Eva Roca, Clare Barrington, Michael D. Sweat Jan 2004

Combinando Estrategias Comunitarias Y Política Gubernamental Para Prevenir La Infección Del Vih En La República Dominicana, Deanna Kerrigan, Luis Moreno, Santo Rosario, Bayardo Gomez, Hector Jerez, Ellen Weiss, Johannes Van Dam, Eva Roca, Clare Barrington, Michael D. Sweat

HIV and AIDS

Programas efectivos para evitar nuevas infecciones del VIH entre trabajadoras sexuales y sus parejas, y por lo tanto la población en general, son componentes críticos de estrategias nacionales de prevención del VIH. Un estudio recientemente realizado por Horizons, en conjunto con dos organizaciones no-gubernamentales dominicanas y el Programa Nacional del Control de ITS y SIDA evaluó el impacto de dos modelos ambientales-estructurales en disminuir el riesgo de VIH en trabajadoras sexuales en la República Dominicana y comparó el costo-efectividad de los dos modelos. Los modelos, construidos sobre la base de años de experiencia adquirida a través de programas de educación …


Community Approaches And Government Policy Reduce Hiv Risk In The Dominican Republic, Deanna Kerrigan, Luis Moreno, Bayardo Gomez, Hector Jerez, Ellen Weiss, Johannes Van Dam, Eva Roca, Clare Barrington, Michael D. Sweat Jan 2004

Community Approaches And Government Policy Reduce Hiv Risk In The Dominican Republic, Deanna Kerrigan, Luis Moreno, Bayardo Gomez, Hector Jerez, Ellen Weiss, Johannes Van Dam, Eva Roca, Clare Barrington, Michael D. Sweat

HIV and AIDS

Effective programs that avert new HIV infections among sex workers and their partners, and hence the general population, are critical components of national HIV-prevention strategies. Prevention efforts have frequently relied on interventions that reach members of these vulnerable groups as individuals, such as condom promotion and STI management. Now, many researchers and program implementers are increasingly turning to “environmental-structural” interventions that address the physical, social, and political contexts in which individual behavior takes place. A recent Horizons study conducted jointly with two Dominican NGOs—Centro de Orientación e Investigación Integral and Centro de Promoción e Solidaridad Humana—and the National Program for …


Paving The Path: Preparing For Microbicide Introduction—Report Of A Qualitative Study In South Africa, Julie Becker, Rasha Dabash, C. Elizabeth Mcgrory, Diane Cooper, Jane Harries, Margaret Hoffman, Jennifer Moodley, Phyllis Orner, Hillary J. Bracken Jan 2004

Paving The Path: Preparing For Microbicide Introduction—Report Of A Qualitative Study In South Africa, Julie Becker, Rasha Dabash, C. Elizabeth Mcgrory, Diane Cooper, Jane Harries, Margaret Hoffman, Jennifer Moodley, Phyllis Orner, Hillary J. Bracken

HIV and AIDS

With recently accelerated support for the development of microbicides to prevent HIV transmission and the urgency of the global AIDS epidemic, it is important to begin to identify strategies for introducing a microbicide once it is proven safe and effective and is approved for use. This report presents results from a qualitative study that explored a range of issues likely to influence microbicide introduction—positively or negatively—at three levels: community, health service, and policy. The study, which identified critical issues to be addressed in building support for microbicides and facilitating a smooth introduction, was conducted between September 2002 and September 2003 …