7 research outputs found
Perceptions about the acceptability and prevalence of HIV testing and factors influencing them in different communities in South Africa
HIV counselling and testing (HCT) is considered important because it is an entry point to a comprehensive continuum of care for HIV/AIDS. The South African Department of Health launched an HCT campaign in April 2010, and this reached 13,269,746 people by June 2011, of which 16% tested HIV positive and 400,000 of those were initiated into antiretroviral treatment. The overall objective of this project was to gain insight into the general perceptions about HIV testing in the different South African communities. Factors influencing testing in these communities were also explored. Discussions with twelve focus groups (FG) of 8ā12 participants each wereĀ conducted with male and female participants recruited from both urban formal and informal communities in Cape Town and Durban. Participants included four racial groups represented by different age groups as follows: adolescents (12ā17 years), youth (18ā24 years) and adults (25 years and older). Data were analyzed using thematic coding. Among the key themes that emerged from the findings were the inaccurate perception of risk, fear of testing HIV positive, stigma and discrimination. Participants from both African and Indian FGs reported being less likely to do self-initiated HIV testing and counselling, while those from the FG consisting of young whites were more likely to learn about their HIV status through blood donations and campus HIV testing campaigns. Most FGs said they were likely to test if they understood the testing process better and also if the results are kept confidential. The present findings reiterate the importance of spreading positive messages and ensuring confidentiality for HIV testing in a society where there is still some stigma associated with people living with HIV/AIDS. This can partly be accomplished by the continuation of the national HCT campaign, which has been a considerable success in the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa during the past two years.Keywords: HIV Counselling and Testing, perceptions, stigma, discrimination and confidentiality, South AfricaLe conseil et le deĀ“pistage (CDV) du VIH sont consideĀ“reĀ“s importants pour les programmes de soins du VIH/SIDA. Le ministe`re sudafricain de la SanteĀ“ a lanceĀ“ une campagne de CDV en avril 2010, et a atteint 13 269 746 personnes en juin 2011, dont 16% ont eĀ“teĀ“ identifieĀ“s seĀ“ropositifs, et dont 400,000 ont commenceĀ“ le traitement antireĀ“troviral. Lāobjectif global de ce projet eĀ“tait de mieux comprendre les perceptions geĀ“neĀ“rales sur le deĀ“pistage du VIH dans les diffeĀ“rentes communauteĀ“s sud-africaines. Les facteurs influencĀøant la participation au deĀ“pistage du VIH ont eĀ“teĀ“ aussi eĀ“tudieĀ“s. Douze groupes de discussion (GDD), consistant de huit a` douze hommes et femmes, ont eĀ“teĀ“ formeĀ“s. Les participants eĀ“taient recruteĀ“s dans les localiteĀ“s urbaines formelles et informelles a` Cape-Town et a` Durban. Les groupes eĀ“taient repartie en quatre sur base dāethniciteĀ“, repreĀ“sentant diffeĀ“rents groupes dāaĖge: les adolescents (12ā17 ans), les jeunes (18ā24 ans) et les adultes (25 ans et plus). Les donneĀ“es ont eĀ“teĀ“ analyseĀ“es en utilisant unĀ codage theĀ“matique. LaĀ perception erroneĀ“e du risque, la peur du deĀ“pistage du VIH, la stigmatisation et la discrimination eĀ“taient parmi les principaux the`mes qui ont eĀ“mergeĀ“. Les participants africains et indiens ont deĀ“clareĀ“ dāeĖtre moins disposeĀ“s a` se faire tester pour le VIH a` propre initiative, tandis que les jeunes blancs eĀ“taient disposeĀ“s a` connaıĖtre leur statut VIH graĖce aux dons de sang et aux campagnes universitaires de deĀ“pistage du VIH. La plupart des participants des DDG ont dit quāils eĀ“taient disposeĀ“s a` se laisser tester sāils avaient une meilleure compreĀ“hension du processus de deĀ“pistage, et sāils eĀ“taient convaincus de sa confidentialiteĀ“. Les reĀ“sultats de cette recherche ont reĀ“iteĀ“reĀ“ lāimportance de la diffusion de messages positifs et de la confidentialiteĀ“ des reĀ“sultats le deĀ“pistage du VIH dans une socieĀ“teĀ“ ou` il y a encore un stigmate associeĀ“ au VIH. Cela peut eĖtre accompli en partie par la poursuite de la campagne nationale de CDV, qui a eĀ“teĀ“ un succe`s consideĀ“rable dans la lutte contre le VIH/SIDA en Afrique du Sud au cours des deux dernie`res anneĀ“es.Mots cleĀ“s: Le conseil et le depistage du VIH, Perceptions, stigmate, discrimination, confidentialite, Afrique du Su
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The significance of understanding social scripting of sexual encounters, diverse sexual cultures and sub-cultures in developing HIV prevention programs relevant to South African women
Paper presented at the Anthropology Southern Africa Conference, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 31 August-3 Septembe
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Perceptions and acceptability of male circumcision in South Africa
The aim of this study was to determine the perceptions and acceptability of male circumcision among the young, as well as older men and women in South Africa. Methods: A total of eleven (11) focus group discussions were conducted in eight of the nine provinces of South Africa. Issues that were explored included (1) acceptability of male circumcision among different cultural groups, (2) perceptions about hospital versus traditional circumcision, (3) perceptions about safety of male circumcision, (4) perceptions about MC and protection against sexually transmitted infections including HIV, (5) misinformation about MC, (6) perceptions about MC and sexual pleasure, and (7) perceived barriers to male circumcision. Results: The study found that male circumcision was acceptable to both men and women in various cultures in South Africa. Although traditional male circumcision was the most preferred method, concerns were raised about the safety, and for this reason some preferred hospital over traditional circumcision. There were mixed attitudes regarding whether male circumcision is protective from HIV transmission. Some participants said that male circumcision increased sexual pleasure and decreased sexual inhibition. There is a need for sexual and reproductive health promotion interventions in the context of male circumcision. Male circumcision is acceptable to both men and women in various cultures in South Africa even though people have mixed perceptions regarding whether male circumcision is protective from HIV transmission.
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Exploring the social characteristics and sexual behaviours of young women who test HIV negative
Poster presented at the SAAIDS Conference, ICC, Durban, 9-12 Jun
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Impact evaluation of the first things first HCT campaign of the higher education AIDS programme
Paper presented at the 21st International AIDS Conference, Durban, South Africa, 18-22 July
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The South African Marang men's project
To date, there is a dearth of surveillance data on the prevalence of HIV and associated risk behaviours among men who have sex with men (MSM) in South Africa. This is particularly true for data collected from several sites using the same sampling approach.
This study called the Marang Men's Project was undertaken to fill this information gap. It was implemented among MSM in the three largest cities of South Africa, namely, Cape Town in the Western Cape, Durban in KwaZulu-Natal and Johannesburg in Gauteng.
The high HIV prevalence estimates found in our study among MSM in each of the three study cities call for a need to implement a national HIV bio-behavioural surveillance programme for MSM. The Marang Men's Project has demonstrated that there is an urgent need for interventions, which respond not only to the heterosexual HIV epidemic but also to the HIV epidemic among MSM in South Africa. This survey therefore provides valuable information to SANAC, the national and provincial Departments of Health (DoHs), and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) organisations to both implement and advocate for improved programmes for the health of MSM.