Strategies to prevent HIV transmission among heterosexual African-American women

BACKGROUND: African-American women are disproportionately affected by HIV, accounting for 60% of all cases among women in the United States. Although their race is not a precursor for HIV, the socioeconomic and cultural disparities associated with being African American may increase their risk of infection. Prior research has shown that interventions designed to reduce HIV infection among African-American women must address the life demands and social problems they encounter. The present study used a qualitative exploratory design to elicit information about strategies to prevent HIV transmission among young, low-income African-American women. METHODS: Twenty five low income African American women, ages 18–29, participated in five focus groups of five women each conducted at a housing project in Houston, Texas, a large demographically diverse metropolitan area that is regarded as one of the HIV/AIDS epicenters in the United States. Each group was audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using theme and domain analysis. RESULTS: The participants revealed that they had most frequently placed themselves at risk for HIV infection through drugs and drinking and they also reported drug and alcohol use as important barriers to practicing safer sex. The women also reported that the need for money and having sex for money to buy food or drugs had placed them at risk for HIV transmission. About one-third of the participants stated that a barrier to their practicing safe sex was their belief that there was no risk based on their being in a monogamous relationship and feeling no need to use protection, but later learning that their mate was unfaithful. Other reasons given were lack of concern, being unprepared, partner's refusal to use a condom, and lack of money to buy condoms. Finally, the women stated that they were motivated to practice safe sex because of fear of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and HIV, desire not to become pregnant, and personal experience with someone who had contracted HIV. CONCLUSION: This study offers a foundation for further research that may be used to create culturally relevant HIV prevention programs for African-American women

Effect of variable transmission rate on the dynamics of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The cause of the high HIV prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa is incompletely understood, with heterosexual penile-vaginal transmission proposed as the main mechanism. Heterosexual HIV transmission has been estimated to have a very low probability; but effects of cofactors that vary in space and time may substantially alter this pattern.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To test the effect of individual variation in the HIV infectiousness generated by co-infection, we developed and analyzed a mathematical sexual network model that simulates the behavioral components of a population from Malawi, as well as the dynamics of HIV and the co-infection effect caused by other infectious diseases, including herpes simplex virus type-2, gonorrhea, syphilis and malaria.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The analysis shows that without the amplification effect caused by co-infection, no epidemic is generated, and HIV prevalence decreases to extinction. But the model indicates that an epidemic can be generated by the amplification effect on HIV transmission caused by co-infection.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The simulated sexual network demonstrated that a single value for HIV infectivity fails to describe the dynamics of the epidemic. Regardless of the low probability of heterosexual transmission per sexual contact, the inclusion of individual variation generated by transient but repeated increases in HIV viral load associated with co-infections may provide a biological basis for the accelerated spread of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, our work raises the possibility that the natural history of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa cannot be fully understood if individual variation in infectiousness is neglected.</p

Investigation on suitability of different extraction solutions to evaluating soil fertility and plant supplying with Cu, Zn and Mn

W pracy oceniano przydatność kilku roztworów ekstrakcyjnych wspólnych jak i specyficznych, do oznaczania zasobności gleb i stanu zaopatrzenia roślin w Cu, Zn i Mn. Stwierdzono, iż żaden z wspólnych roztworów ekstrakcyjnych nie opisuje dostatecznie stanu zaopatrzenia roślin w trzy badane mikroskładniki jednocześnie. Do celów diagnostycznych największą wartość wykazały dla Cu - 2% roztwór HNO₃ wg Westerhoffa, dla Zn - roztwór CaCl₂ oraz kwas dwuetyleno- trójaminopięciooctowy (DTPA), dla Mn - roztwór CaCl₂. Zawartość Mn i Zn w kupkówce wykazywała silny związek z odczynem badanych gleb.The suitability of some extraction solutions, both specific and common for testing soil fertility and plant supplying with Cu, Zn and Mn were investigated. It was stated that none of common extraction solutions sufficiently describes plant supplying with Cu, Zn and Mn simoultaneuosly. The best diagnostic values for Cu showed the 2% HNO₃ solution by Westerhoff, for Zn - CaCl₂ solution and diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid (DTPA), for Mn - CaCl₂ solution. Concentration of Zn and Mn in coksfoot was strongly correlated with reaction of analysed soils

Wplyw wlasciwosci gleb lakowych na ilosci rozpuszczalnych form manganu oraz jego zawartosc w kupkowce

W pracy badano przydatność czterech roztworów ekstrakcyjnych do oceny stanu zaopatrzenia kupkówki w mangan. W tym celu posłużono się rachunkiem korelacji prostej oraz równaniami regresji wielokrotnej, która umożliwia syntetyczne ujęcie wpływu kilku cech gleb na zawartość tego składnika w roślinie. Stwierdzono, że na podstawie równań regresji wielokrotnej, w stopniu wystarczającym stan zaopatrzenia kupkówki w mangan opisywany jest przez wartość pH gleb oraz zawartość części spławialnych. Zastosowane roztwory ekstrakcyjne, za wyjątkiem 0,01 mol CaCl₂·dm⁻³, nie opisują w sposób dostateczny stanu zaopatrzenia roślin w ten składnik. Pomiar odczynu oraz powszechna dostępność danych dotyczących składu granulometrycznego gleb przeważa nad testem chlorku wapnia, który wymaga specjalistycznej i kosztownej aparatury.The usability of four extracting solutions for estimation of manganese supply to cocksfoot grass were examined. For that purpose the simple and multiple regression equations were used, which allow in synthetic manner to take into account the influence of some soil features on the content of this element in plant. It was stated on the basis of multiple regression equations the supply status of manganese to cocksfoot was described in sufficient extent by pH value of soils and by fine particles contents. Applied extracting solutions, except of 0.01 mol calcium chloride solution did not describe in sufficient way the plant manganese supply status for this element. Measurement of soil reaction and common availability of data on granulometric of soil composition prevails on manganese determination in calcium chloride soil extract, which requires specia- listic and expensive equipment