Are women ready to do HIV test? / ¿Están las mujeres preparadas para una prueba de VIH?

OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors that influence the stage of change with regards to HIV testing in women (16-45 years old) in Westmoreland using the trans-theoretical model (TTM) of behaviour change. DESIGN AND METHODS: A structured interview-assisted questionnaire was administered to 372 pregnant and non-pregnant respondents in urban and rural areas of Westmoreland after random selection of four public health facilities. The trans-theoretical model which suggests that behaviour change process moves through five stages from pre-contemplation to maintenance was used to evaluate readiness for HIV testing. RESULTS: Most pregnant women who tested previously were at the preparation stage (78.5%) while non-pregnant women who tested previously were at contemplation (68.5%). The significant predictors of being in the action or maintenance stage among pregnant women was being 20-24 years old, experiencing a first pregnancy and being exposed to counselling. For women who had never tested, preparation was significantly associated with being in an unstable union (non-pregnant). No significant association was found for non-pregnant, previously tested females or for pregnant women who had never tested. CONCLUSION: The majority of women lacked self-efficacy as they were unable to maintain the behaviour and did not recognize its importance in the absence of pregnancy. Interventions are needed to target non-pregnant women, especially teenagers, women over 25-years old and women in unions. Integration of testing services into all aspects of primary healthcare, established testing protocols and simultaneous marketing to selected at-risk groups will increase the uptake of HIV testing opportunities and contribute to the control of this epidemic.

OBJETIVO: Identificar los factores que influyen sobre la etapa de cambio en relación con la prueba de VIH en mujeres (16-45 años) en Westmoreland, mediante la utilización del modelo transteórico del cambio de comportamiento (MTT). DISEÑO Y MÉTODOS: Se aplicó un cuestionario estructurado asistido por entrevistas, a 372 encuestadas - embarazadas y no embarazadas - en las áreas rurales y urbanas de Westmoreland, luego de una selección aleatoria de cuatro centros de salud pública. El MTT, que sugiere que el proceso de cambio de comportamiento atraviesa cinco etapas que van desde la precontemplación al mantenimiento, se usó para evaluar el grado de preparación para la prueba de VIH. RESULTADOS: La mayor parte de las mujeres embarazadas que tuvieron la prueba previamente estaban en la etapa de preparación (78.5%), mientras que las no embarazadas que tuvieron la prueba con anterioridad estaban en la etapa de contemplación (68.5%). Los predictores significativos de la etapa de acción o de mantenimiento entre las mujeres embarazadas, fueron: tener 20-24 años, estar experimentando el embarazo por primera vez, y estar expuestas a consejos psicológicos. Para las mujeres que nunca habían hecho la prueba, la preparación estuvo significativamente asociada con tener una unión inestable (no embarazadas). No se halló asociación significativa para las no embarazadas con pruebas anteriores o las embarazadas que nunca tuvieron pruebas. CONCLUSIÓN: A la mayoría de las mujeres les faltaba autoeficacia, ya que no eran capaces de mantener el comportamiento y no reconocían su importancia en ausencia del embarazo. Se necesitan intervenciones a fin de poner las miras en las mujeres no embarazadas, especialmente las adolescentes, las mayores de 25 años, y las mujeres en uniones. La integración de los servicios de pruebas en todos los aspectos de la atención primaria de la salud, el establecimiento de protocolos de pruebas y el marketing simultáneo de grupos de riesgo seleccionados, aumentará el interés en las oportunidades de pruebas de VIH y contribuirá al control de esta epidemia.

Pesquisas brasileiras psicossociais e operacionais face às metas da UNGASS / Brazilian psychosocial and operational research vis-à-vis the UNGASS targets

São analisados itens do documento "Draft Declaration of Commitment for the UNGASS on HIV/AIDS, 2001". Discute-se a experiência brasileira em novos métodos de testagem e aconselhamento para populações vulneráveis, métodos preventivos controlados por mulheres, prevenção, suporte psicossocial a pessoas vivendo com HIV/Aids e transmissão materno-infantil. Os itens foram operacionalizados sob a forma de palavras-chave em buscas sistemáticas nos bancos de dados padrão em biomedicina, incluindo ainda o Web of Science, nas suas subdivisões referentes às ciências naturais e sociais. A experiência brasileira referente a estratégias de testagem e aconselhamento vem-se consolidando, no emprego de algoritmos visando à estimação da incidência e identificação de recém-infectados, testagem e aconselhamento de grávidas, e aplicação de testes rápidos. A introdução de métodos alternativos e de novas tecnologias para coleta de dados em populações vulneráveis vem permitindo ágil monitoramento da epidemia. A avaliação do suporte psicossocial a pessoas vivendo com HIV/Aids ganhou impulso no Brasil, provavelmente, em decorrência do aumento da sobrevida e da qualidade de vida dessas pessoas. Foram observados avanços substanciais no controle da transmissão materno-infantil, uma das mais importantes vitórias no campo de HIV/Aids no Brasil, mas deficiências no atendimento pré-natal ainda constituem um desafio. Em relação aos métodos de prevenção femininos, a resposta brasileira é ainda tímida. A ampla implementação de novas tecnologias para captura e manejo de dados depende de investimentos em infra-estrutura e capacitação profissional.

Visita al Tornú: La gestión mirada desde un hospital / Visiting to Tornú Hospital: The management watched from a hospital

Diálogo con la jefa de Infectogía y la jefa de residentes de la Residencia Interdisciplinaria de Educación para la Salud del hospital, centrado en las politicas de la Coordinación SIDA. Se tratan aspectos como la atención y el seguimiento de las personas que viven con VIH, el asesoramiento pre y postest, y la distribución de preservativos y material informativo

Attitudes towards HIV-antibody testing and people with AIDS among university students in India, South Africa and United States.

CONTEXT: Stigmatizing attitudes toward persons with AIDS (PWAs) may reduce people's willingness to have themselves tested for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)--thereby increasing the risk of transmission. AIMS: To examine attitudes towards (HIV) testing and determinants of attitudes towards PWAs. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A cross-sectional. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 600 first-year university students from South India, South African and America filled in a self-administered questionnaire. Main outcome measures included an Attitudes towards HIV-Antibody Testing Scale and Readiness to engage in personal forms of contact with People With AIDS. RESULTS indicate that the majority of American and South African students and only 10 percent of the Indian students had been sexually active in the past 12 months. Almost one fifth of the American and South African participants but only 10% of the Indian students admitted to having had an HIV test. American students had a much more positive attitudes toward HIV testing than South African and Indian students. Regression analysis for the Indian student sample identified blaming, irritation and negative attitudes toward homosexuals as independent predictors of readiness to engage in personal contact with PWAs, while the regression analyses for both South African and American students identified pity and irritation as independent predictors of contact readiness with PWAs. Positive HIV testing attitudes were positively associated with contact readiness with PWAs. CONCLUSION: The findings are important for the role of HIV testing and counselling in campus AIDS programmes. The findings reveal important factors related to HIV testing and suggest strategies for developing effective HIV/AIDS counselling programmes in universities.

Conjugabilidade e AIDS: a questão da sorodiscordancia e os serviços de saúde / Couples and AIDS: the question of the sorodiscordância and the services of health

Contextualiza a sorodiscordancia enquanto tematica de pesquisa, frisa o descompasso exsitente entre algumas atividades de prevenção e a realidade sócio-cultural dos sujeitos. Destaca a importâäncia do referencial de casal na identidade social das pessoas. Revisa os desafios que se colocam para casais sorodiscordantes e as questães de Saúde Pública. Discute a qustão da sorodiscordânica a partir da interface entre a pesquisa e a intervenção. Discute a prevençäo da transmissão vertical, a reprodução assistida, os direitos sexuais e reprodutivos, o apoio psicológico a parceiros sodiscordantes, os direitos humanos, a interface existente entre o uso de drogas e a conjugabilidade.

Neurología e infección por el VIH-SIDA: problemas éticos / Neurology and HIV-AIDS infection: ethic problems

Human immunodeficiency virus infection raises ethical issues in medical practice. This work presents several problems with ethical connotations related to HIV infections, observed by a neurologist during his medical practice. Patient-physician relationships, confidentiality, the request of patient consent to perform diagnostic procedures and reports to third parties are analyzed. The need for education and patient counseling about risk factors for infections is emphasized. Some features of clinical research in HIV infection such as the urging by the patients to simplify study protocols and limit sample sizes in clinical trials, are mentioned. Finally the possible solutions to these problems are discussed

Aspectos socioeconómicos y psicosociales de la infección por virus de inmunodeficiencia humana u le síndrome de la inmunodeficiencia adquirida en niños y adolescentes / Socioeconomic and psychosocial aspects of the infection for human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in children and adolescents

La infección por VIH y el SIDA constituyen un serio problema de salud pública, pues, además de los trastornos físicos y sicológicos que causan a los afectados, provocan serias alteraciones en la familia, de índole funcional, síquica, social y económica. En los adolescentes y los adultos jóvenes la enfermedad puede y suele producir efectos sicológicos y sociales diferentes que en individuos más maduros. Su prevención en ellos requiere esfuerzos que incluyan mensajes más apropiados y específicos, con esfuerzos destinados a prevenir y evitar conductas de riesgo, que deberían iniciarse en la edad escolar

El sida enfermedad mortal / The AIDS mortal illness

Contiene: Como llamar al virus, biologia de virus del Sida, epidemiologia-infeccción mortalidad, transmisión, sintomas clínico, infecciones oportunistas comunes relacionados con el sida, nedidas para prevenir la transmisión del VHI, la lactancia natural, la leche materna y el VHI, sida pediátrico, diarrea y el sida, los niños la infección por el VHIy el sida, el sida y los jovenes, las mujeres y el sida,en busca de vacuna, la infección por el VHI y productos farmaceuticos,pruebas para detectar el sida, lugar de trabajo y el sida, evite el sida usando condón, sida y el sistema inmunológico, programas de educación, responsabilidades de los servicios de salud, medidas alternativas, Sida en Bolivia, programas de prevención y vigilancia del sida en Bolivia, explicación de términos cientificos