scholarly journals “My Mother Told Me I Must Not Cook Anymore”—Food, Culture, and the Context of HIV− and AIDS-Related Stigma in Three Communities in South Africa

2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Okoror ◽  
C. O. Airhihenbuwa ◽  
M. Zungu ◽  
D. Makofani ◽  
D. C. Brown ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of food as an instrument in expressing and experiencing HIV/AIDS stigma by HIV-positive women and their families, with the goal of reducing discrimination. It goes beyond willingness to share utensils, which has been identified in HIV/AIDS research. As part of an ongoing capacity-building HIV/AIDS stigma project in South Africa, 25 focus groups and 15 key informant interviews were conducted among 195 women and 54 men in three Black communities. Participants were asked to discuss how they were treated in the family as women living with HIV and AIDS, and data was organized using the PEN-3 model. Findings highlight both the positive and negative experiences HIV-positive women encounter. Women would not disclose their HIV status to avoid being isolated from participating in the socio-cultural aspects of food preparation, while others that have disclosed their status have experienced alienation. The symbolic meanings of food should be a major consideration when addressing the elimination of HIV/AIDS stigma in South Africa.

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e022221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Menkeoma Laura Okoli ◽  
Samuel Alao ◽  
Somtochukwu Ojukwu ◽  
Nnadozie C Emechebe ◽  
Asuelimen Ikhuoria ◽  
...  

BackgroundDespite the availability and knowledge of various contraceptive methods, consistent utilisation in women living with HIV/AIDS (WLWHA) within the reproductive age group remains below the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Family Planning 2020 goals. This study examines the association between sociodemographic factors and contraceptive use including the effect of clustering tendencies of these factors on contraceptive usage among WLWHA in Kenya.MethodsWeighted multivariate logistic regression models were conducted to determine the association of sociodemographic factors on contraception use among WLWHA using the 2008–2009 Kenya Demographic Health Survey. Spatial autocorrelation techniques were used to explore clustering tendencies of these factors on contraception utilisation. Our study population included 304 HIV positive women, aged 15–49 years.ResultsAmong 304 HIV-positive women in our study population, 92 (30.3%) reported using one method of contraception. Contraceptive use was significantly associated with wealth and education after adjustment for other sociodemographic variables. Women classified as having low and middle wealth index were less likely to use contraceptives (OR=0.17, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.43; OR=0.33, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.98, respectively) compared with women classified as having high wealth index. Similarly, women with primary education only were less likely to use contraceptives compared with women with secondary or higher education (OR=0.42, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.98). Spatial autocorrelation revealed significant positive clusters with weak clustering tendencies of non-contraceptive use among different levels of wealth index and education within different regions of Kenya.ConclusionThese findings underscores the need for intervention programmes to further target socially disadvantaged WLWHA, which is necessary for achieving the SDGs.


Author(s):  
Celeste Watkins-Hayes

Previous literature suggests that AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) play an important support role in the lives of impoverished women living with HIV. Less is known about the dynamics of institutional support for middle-class women living with HIV/AIDS, who are assumed to possess a broader base of resources to address their diagnosis. Using qualitative data collected from a racially and economically diverse group of HIV-positive women in Chicago, this article compares how low-income and middle-class women utilize ASOs and reveals how the women’s divergent approaches to availing themselves of institutional resources have important implications for their social and economic coping. For example, associating with ASOs can be status-improving for impoverished women and status-diminishing for middle-class women. As a result, middle-class women report a less robust network of social service providers and people living with HIV/AIDS on whom they rely for HIV-related information and social support, making them vulnerable to HIV-specific social isolation. In sum, the ways that HIV-positive women deploy institutional ties to negotiate their HIV/AIDS status differs markedly depending on socioeconomic status, suggesting that the role of class in gathering social support may be more complex than previously understood.


ISRN AIDS ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Unnikrishnan ◽  
Vinita Jagannath ◽  
John T. Ramapuram ◽  
B. Achappa ◽  
D. Madi

Background. Depression is one of the most prevalent psychiatric diagnoses seen in HIV-positive individuals. Women with HIV are about four times more likely to be depressed than those who are not infected. Aims. To assess the sociodemographic and clinical correlates of depression among women living with HIV/AIDS. Setting and Design. One public and one private hospital in Mangalore, Coastal South India, and cross-sectional design. Methods and Materials. Study constituted of 137 HIV-positive women, depression was assessed using BDI (Beck Depression Inventory), and social support was assessed using Lubben Social Network Scale. Statistical Analysis. All analysis was conducted using SPSS version 11.5. Chi-square test with value less than 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Results. Among 137 HIV-positive women, 51.1% were depressed. Around 16% were having moderate to high risk for isolation. Depression was statistically significant in rural women, widowed women, and lower socioeconomic class women. Conclusion. Depression is highly prevalent among women living with HIV which is still underdiagnosed and undertreated, and there is a need to incorporate mental health services as an integral component of HIV care.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 203
Author(s):  
Andi Nur Faizah

<p>The phenomenon of HIV-AIDS transmission places women in a difficult situation. The loss of family members such as husbands due to AIDS leaves women living with HIV positive in a struggle to access sources of livelihood. The condition of themselves as PLWHA, concerns about being stigmatized, caring for family members, and earning a living are the burdens of life they have to face. In this regard, this paper explores the complexity of the work of HIV-positive women. This study uses a qualitative method with a feminist perspective to get a complete picture of the livelihood of HIV-positive women. Based on interviews with five HIV-positive women, the findings found a link between social, identity, and gender categories that affect their livelihoods. HIV-positive women also transform themselves into their “normal” self by pretending to be healthy, able to work, have quality, and be independent. This is done as a form of resistance to the stigma attached to PLWHA.</p><p> </p><p> </p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhokotera Tafadzwa ◽  
Riou Julien ◽  
Bartels Lina ◽  
Rohner Eliane ◽  
Chammartin Frederique ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Disparities in invasive cervical cancer (ICC) incidence exist globally, particularly in HIV positive women who are at elevated risk compared to HIV negative women. We aimed to determine the spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal incidence of ICC and the potential risk factors among HIV positive women in South Africa. Methods We included ICC cases in women diagnosed with HIV from the South African HIV cancer match study during 2004–2014. We used the Thembisa model, a mathematical model of the South African HIV epidemic to estimate women diagnosed with HIV per municipality, age group and calendar year. We fitted Bayesian hierarchical models, using a reparameterization of the Besag-York-Mollié to capture spatial autocorrelation, to estimate the spatiotemporal distribution of ICC incidence among women diagnosed with HIV. We also examined the association of deprivation, access to health (using the number of health facilities per municipality) and urbanicity with ICC incidence. We corrected our estimates to account for ICC case underascertainment, missing data and data errors. Results We included 17,821 ICC cases and demonstrated a decreasing trend in ICC incidence, from 306 to 312 in 2004 and from 160 to 191 in 2014 per 100,000 person-years across all municipalities and corrections. The spatial relative rate (RR) ranged from 0.27 to 4.43 in the model without any covariates. In the model adjusting for covariates, the most affluent municipalities had a RR of 3.18 (95% Credible Interval 1.82, 5.57) compared to the least affluent ones, and municipalities with better access to health care had a RR of 1.52 (1.03, 2.27) compared to municipalities with worse access to health. Conclusions The results show an increased incidence of cervical cancer in affluent municipalities and in those with more health facilities. This is likely driven by better access to health care in more affluent areas. More efforts should be made to ensure equitable access to health services, including mitigating physical barriers, such as transportation to health centres and strengthening of screening programmes.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Kebogile Elizabeth Mokwena ◽  
Nontokozo Lilian Mbatha

Background: Mothers living with HIV are at risk for mental health problems, which may have a negative impact on the management of their HIV condition and care of their children. Although South Africa has a high prevalence of HIV, there is a dearth of studies on sociodemographic predictors of postnatal depression (PND) among HIV-positive women in South Africa, even in KwaZulu Natal, a province with the highest prevalence of HIV in the country. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine sociodemographic factors associated with the prevalence of postnatal depression symptoms among a sample of HIV-positive women attending health services from primary healthcare facilities in Umhlathuze District, KwaZulu Natal. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from 386 HIV-positive women who had infants aged between 1 and 12 weeks. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPNDS), to which sociodemographic questions were added, was used to collect data. Results: The prevalence of PND symptoms among this sample of 386 HIV-positive women was 42.5%. The age of the mothers ranged from 16 to 42 years, with a mean of 29 years. The majority of the mothers were single or never married (85.5%; n = 330), living in a rural setting (81.9%; n = 316%), with a household income of less than R 2000 (estimated 125 USD) per month (64.9%; n = 120). The government child support grant was the main source of income for most of the mothers (53%; n = 183). PND symptoms were significantly associated with the participant’s partner having other sexual partners (p-value < 0.001), adverse life events (p-value = 0.001), low monthly income (p-value = 0.015), and being financially dependent on others (p-value = 0.023). Conclusion: The prevalence of PND symptoms among the sample is high, with a number of social and demographic factors found to be significantly associated with PND. This requires the consideration of sociodemographic information in the overall management of both HIV and postnatal depression. Addressing the impact of these factors can positively influence the health outcomes of both the mother and the baby.


AIDS ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (13) ◽  
pp. 1791-1797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanya Doherty ◽  
Mickey Chopra ◽  
Debra Jackson ◽  
Ameena Goga ◽  
Mark Colvin ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 141 (3) ◽  
pp. 488-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliane Rohner ◽  
Mazvita Sengayi ◽  
Bridgette Goeieman ◽  
Pamela Michelow ◽  
Cynthia Firnhaber ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiana de Souza Orlandi ◽  
Neide de Souza Praça

This descriptive cross-sectional study had the objective to evaluate the level of hope in women aged 50 or older suffering from HIV/AIDS, utilizing the Herth Hope Scale. The study involved 200 HIV- positive women, within the age bracket of interest, enrolled in three STI/AIDS specialized healthcare services in the city of São Paulo. The rules of the 196/96 Resolution were met and the study was approved by the Research and Ethics Committee. Data were collected in 2010 using two instruments: subjects' characterization and the Herth Hope Scale. Results demonstrated an average score of 36.75 (±4.52) on the Herth Hope Scale, with an interval of 12 to 48. This score is below the score obtained with the same scale for various pathologies, indicating a reduced perception of hope by the sample. Nurses should provide interventions to improve hope for these people, establishing realistic goals and strengthening social support.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Riska Regia Catur Putri ◽  
Zulvayanti Zulvayanti ◽  
Panji Fortuna Hadisoemarto ◽  
Deni K. Sunjaya ◽  
Elsa Pudji Setiawati ◽  
...  

Abstract    More than 90% of cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) / Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrom (AIDS) in children, occur due to transmission from mother to child. Prevention of unwanted pregnancies with contraception in HIV positive women is important strategy to reduce the rate of mother to child HIV/AIDS transmission. The practice of contraceptive use in HIV positive women is strongly influenced by individual beliefs regarding the benefits and effectiveness of contraception for the prevention of mother to child HIV/AIDS transmission. This study aims to determine the relationship of perceptions based on the construct of the Health Belief Model (HBM) wich consists of perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefit, perceived barrier, self efficacy, and cues to action and based on pluralistic ignorance on the practice of contraceptive use among woman of childbearing age recipients of antiretroviral in Bandung. The design of this study was quantitative non-experimental with survey methods. Data were collected for one month, using questionnaire from 188 women of childbearing age  receiving  antiretroviral drughs taken by consecutive sampling (non-probability) technique. Data were analyzed by logistic regression. The results revealed perceived susceptibility is an HBM construct that affects contraceptive use (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR):4.5). While knowledge (AOR:7.3) and age (AOR:0.801), emerged as other factors that influence contraceptive use among WUS recipients of antiretroviral in Bandung. The HBM is used to predict contraceptive behavior in women. HIV positive women who believe themselves to be at high risk of infecting HIV/AIDS from mother to child will tend to use contraception, besides that knowledge is the basis for HIV positive women taking action to use contraception. Abstrak Lebih dari 90% kasus Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrom (AIDS) pada anak, terjadi akibat penularan dari ibu ke anak. Pencegahan kehamilan yang tidak direncanakan dengan kontrasepsi pada wanita HIV positif merupakan strategi penting untuk menurunkan angka penularan HIV/AIDS dari ibu ke anak. Praktik penggunaan kontrasepsi oleh wanita HIV positif sangat dipengaruhi oleh keyakinan individu terkait manfaat dan efektivitas kontrasepsi terhadap pencegahan penularan HIV/AIDS dari ibu ke anak. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan persepsi berdasarkan konstruk Health Belief Model (HBM) yang terdiri dari perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefit, perceived barrier, self efficacy, dan cues to action serta berdasarkan ketidaktahuan majemuk terhadap praktik penggunaan kontrasepsi pada Wanita Usia Subur (WUS) penerima obat antiretroviral di Kota Bandung. Desain penelitian ini adalah kuantitatif non-experimental dengan metode survei. Data dikumpulkan selama satu bulan, menggunakan kuesioner dari 188 WUS penerima obat antiretroviral yang diambil dengan teknik consecutive sampling (non-probability). Data dianalisis dengan regresi logistik. Hasil penelitian mengungkapkan perceived susceptibility adalah konstruk HBM yang berpengaruh terhadap penggunaan kontrasepsi (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR):4,5). Sementara pengetahuan (AOR:7,3) dan usia (AOR:0,801) muncul sebagai faktor-faktor lain yang berpengaruh terhadap praktik penggunaan kontrasepsi pada WUS penerima obat antiretroviral di Kota Bandung. HBM digunakan untuk memprediksi perilaku kontrasepsi pada wanita. Wanita HIV positif yang meyakini dirinya berisiko tinggi dapat menularkan HIV/AIDS ke anak, akan cenderung menggunakan kontrasepsi, disamping itu pengetahuan menjadi dasar bagi wanita HIV positif dalam mengambil tindakan untuk menggunakan kontrasepsi.


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