...THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PREGNANT WOMEN ATTENDING THE PREVENTION OF MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION OF HIV (PMTCT) PROGRAMME AT BULAWAYO CITY CLINICS, ZIMBABWE. by MGCINI SIBANDA Submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTERS OF ARTS in the subject SOCIAL BEHAVIOR STUDIES IN HIV/AIDS at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: DR GE DU PLESSIS JOINT SUPERVISOR: MR L ROETS SEPTEMBER 2008 DEDICATION This is dedicated to all women living with HIV, in the sincerest hope that this study will make a small contribution to programme development and implementation. I also wish to dedicate this to my family: Patience, Babongile and Bongiwe, with love. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study would not have been possible without the support, commitment and encouragement of a large number of people in a wide range of capacities. Unfortunately, it is not possible to acknowledge by name all the people who contributed in some way to the study. Above all l appreciate the contribution of all the pregnant women who participated in the study, who volunteered their time and valuable information. Particular thanks are due to my supervisor Gretchen du Plessis for her untiring effort and thorough guidance throughout the study. A special word of thanks goes to the Bulawayo Medical Director’s office and the staff at the city clinics for allowing me to carry out the study. I am also grateful to the research assistants who assisted in collecting...
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...HIV in Philippines HIV (Human immune deficiency syndrome) is the causing factor for the sexually transmitted disease AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome).HIV virus makes the Immune System weakened that result in making the body suspect able and vulnerable to many diseases. When the immune System is weakened the body becomes vulnerable to make diseases. (UNAIDS 2012). The HIV epidemic in the Philippines has been rapidly changing in the past 5 years. The first case of HIV in the Philippines was reported in 1984. During the 30 year time span, the HIV situation has been constantly growing although the prevalence remains well under 1%, at a low 0.04%. The government is trying its level best to make AIDS extinct through education and prevention. Moreover, the cases of HIV are increasing at an exponential rate, so there is a need to give serious attention to the problem. From one new case every three days in year 2000, to one new case every three hours by the end of 2011 (UNAIDS 2012). Those who engage in risky behaviors such as, performing unprotected sex with several partners or intravenous drug users are at risk the most and can possible result in death. Number of infections old and new While the number of cases of HIV has declined substantially in many areas in the world, countries like the Philippines are experiencing the opposite. According to UNAIDS 2012 there were approximately 15,000 people living with HIV. The Philippines is one of the only two countries in Asia...
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...became increasingly prevalent in the country throughout the 2000s. By late 2000s, the CDC adjusted treatment, no longer using ciprofloxacin or other fluroquinolones for treatment, leaving only one drug combination to treat it. That treatment is an injection of cephalosporin combined with either azithromycin or doxycycline orally. The combination treatment, according to The Verge, may not be substantial enough to treat the increasingly stronger disease in the near future. Risk of HIV infection high during pregnancy, the postpartum period Women living in world regions where HIV infection is common are at high risk of acquiring HIV infection during pregnancy and the postpartum period, according to a study by US researchers published in this week's PLOS Medicine. Alison Drake and colleagues from the University of Washington in Seattle also found that mothers who acquire HIV during pregnancy or postpartum are more likely to pass the infection on to their offspring than mothers with chronic HIV infections. | | | The authors reached these conclusions by...
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...the human immunosufficiency virus (HIV). HIV is considered to be one of the most severe communicable diseases worldwide. Unfortunately, it has become a global pandemic. This paper will serve to discuss HIV, the signs and symptoms, the mode of transmission, treatments, demographics and more. HIV was first reported in Africa in 1981. By 1987, HIV had spread to over one hundred countries. By 2001, HIV became the primary infection leading to death. It takes several years for someone with HIV to develop AIDS, in fact the latency period is ten years. Since 2008, the United Nation had estimated that approximately four million people were living with HIV, over two million people have been recently infected with HIV and approximately two million people worldwide have died from HIV. Africa has the highest ratings of people living with HIV. African Americans account for almost half of HIV infections each year. Both African Americans and Hispanics are at eight to nine times greater than Caucasians to become infected with HIV. Most states have implemented HIV surveillance reports, however most cases are unreliable because many individuals do not want to know their HIV status and they refuse to be tested. An estimate twenty seven percent of individuals are unaware that they are infected with the virus (Maurer &Smith). HIV can be transmitted by three modes of transmission. These three modes include sexual, parenteral and mother to child. HIV can also be contracted through bodily...
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...The Direct and Indirect Effects of HIV/AIDS on Children and Youth in Africa Rojish Thomas English 202A June 21, 2012 The Direct and Indirect Effects of HIV/AIDS on Children and Youth in Africa HIV and AIDS are two of the most prevalent illnesses around the world today. HIV, or the human immunodeficiency virus, leads to AIDS, or the acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The disease damages a person’s body by destroying the blood cells that work to fight diseases; or in other words, by destroying a person’s immune system (“Basic Information about HIV and AIDS”, 2012). There are many adults all around the world who have acquired and have passed away from this disease. Africa is well known to have the highest rates of HIV/AIDS than any other continent in the whole world. However, not many people realize how much the disease has affected children and youth along with adults. Children and youth in Africa suffer from HIV/AIDS in both direct and indirect manners. The direct effect of HIV/AIDS on children in Africa is the children themselves suffering from the disease. Children and youth indirectly suffer from the diseases as a result of their parents or siblings being diagnosed with AIDS. They then must take care of their family members although the children may be very young; they are even poorer than they were before with their parents unable to work because of the disease; and in many cases they are orphaned and left to fend for themselves and their siblings to find food,...
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...HIV / AIDS: An Overview HCA 240 Axia College of University of Phoenix HIV / AIDS: An Overview The difference between HIV and Aid: HIV is the virus that causes the disease AIDS. A person can be infected with HIV for many years before AIDS develops. Or even know that they are carrying the virus. Once an individual is infected with HIV the virus infects specific cells within your immune system. These cells are as helper T-Cells and CD4 Cells. CD4 cells and helper T-Cells are an important factor for the immune system by helping the body fight infections and disease. Once these cells become infected they start to break down the immune system. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This virus is known to infect our immune system and damage it severely over time. The HIV Virus never leaves the infected persons body, unlike other viruses like the common cold or the flu that leaves the body after a few days. The HIV Virus over time destroys white blood cells. AIDS stands for ACQUIRED Immuno – Deficiency Syndrome. CD4 (white blood cells) range 600 to 1200 in a person that isn’t infected with the HIV Virus. (health services) Once an infected person’s CD4 count drops as low as 200 the infected person will then be diagnosed with having AIDS. The various ways HIV can be transmitted: Transmission of HIV can occur when infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or breast milk enters the individual’s body. Unprotected sexual intercourse vaginal and anal are the riskiest sexual...
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...Immunology of Pediatric (HIV) Unit 1 Assignment 1 (GE257) Ashley Pernell September 21, 2015 HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus where the body has a hard time fighting off infections and disease. If left untreated it can lead to AIDS. The human body cannot get rid of HIV. That means that once you have HIV, you have it for life. Most children who are born to mothers who have HIV do not become infected with this virus. In the case that they do become infected, their response to treatment varies depending upon the timing and potentially the route of their infection. (Tobin & Aldrovandi, 2013) The majority of pediatric HIV infection occurs via mother-to-child transmission at three points: in utero, intrapartum, or through breast milk. Most children born to women with high levels of HIV and low numbers of CD4+ T-cells do not become infected. Even when primary HIV infection occurs during pregnancy, 80% of children escape infection. (Tobin & Aldrovandi, 2013) Utero transmission is mother to baby transmission of HIV during pregnancy. This transmission may occur if there is damage to the placenta and blood from the mother contact the fetus. During the third trimester of pregnancy, maternal immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are transplacentally transferred. The antibodies are associated with infant safeguard against a variety of microbes. Most utero transmission infections occur a few weeks before the delivery. The HIV in these infants is different from infants...
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...What advice would you give to Nestlé now in light of the new problem of HIV infection being spread via mothers’ milk? Nestle being a globally renowned company that has a great influence on its consumers, does not mean it can exempt itself from being the target of diverse cultural and social criticisms. It may maintain its market share but this case only shows that malicious propagandas can create a bad reputation for the brand. Fortunately, Nestle has unconstrained amount of resources including the marketing efforts it could capitalize on to turn this dilemma around. In a sense, the emerging increase of HIV cases and its reported transmission via breastfeeding can be seen as an opportunity due to the fact that Nestlé’s established network can easily address these problems. They could initiate a PR campaign that includes free HIV testing programs much like Thailand’s approach to HIV positive mothers. Nestle could also fund some researches on how to reduce the risk of mother to child transmission or they could initiate an HIV-literacy convention wherein they could enlighten mothers on ways to make sure that their children are safe from the disease transmission. Oher than those, maybe Nestle could include a cause-related marketing effort of creating an awareness for women who might want to donate breast milk to infants who’s mothers have HIV. This way, it does not solely focus on mothers with HIV but also create a message that Nestle is a brand that cares. Instead of going...
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... including opportunistic infections and tumors that do not usually affect people who have working immune systems. HIV is transmitted primarily via unprotected sexual intercourse, contaminated blood transfusions, hypodermic needles, and from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding. Prevention of HIV infection, primarily through safe sex and needle-exchange programs, is a key strategy to control the spread of the disease. There is no cure or vaccine; however, antiretroviral treatment can slow the course of the disease and may lead to a near-normal life expectancy. While antiretroviral treatment reduces the risk of death and complications from the disease, these medications are expensive and may be associated with side effects. Genetic research indicates that HIV originated in west-central Africa during the early twentieth century. AIDS was first recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1981 and its cause—HIV infection—was identified in the early part of the decade. Since its discovery, AIDS has caused nearly 30 million deaths . As of 2010, approximately 34 million people are living with HIV globally. Signs and symptoms There are three main stages of HIV infection: acute infection, clinical latency and AIDS. Acute infection The initial period following the contraction of HIV is called acute HIV, primary HIV or acute retroviral syndrome. Clinical...
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...HIV and its causes to humans I. AIDS is a disease caused by a virus called HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). The illness alters the immune system, making people much more vulnerable to infections and diseases. This susceptibility worsens as the disease progresses. HIV is found in the body fluids of an infected person (semen and vaginal fluids, blood and breast milk). The virus is passed from one person to another through blood-to-blood and sexual contact. In addition, infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their babies during pregnancy, delivering the baby during childbirth, and through breast feeding. HIV can be transmitted in many ways, such as vaginal, oral sex, anal sex, blood transfusion, and contaminated hypodermic needles. Both the virus and the disease are often referred to together as HIV/AIDS. People with HIV have what is called HIV infection. As a result, some will then develop AIDS. The development of numerous opportunistic infections in an AIDS patient can ultimately lead to death. According to research, the origins of HIV date back to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century in west-central Africa. AIDS and its cause, HIV, were first identified and recognized in the early 1980s. There is currently no cure for HIV/AIDS. Treatments can slow the course of the disease - some infected people can live a long and relatively healthy life. II. What is the difference...
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...Helps Keep HIV Patients in South Africa Employed (Got from Havard School of Public Health) Antiretroviral drug treatment for HIV appears to have more payoffs than the promise of better health and a longer life – it also seems to help people living with HIV stay employed or get new jobs, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies. In a study of a large population cohort, the investigators found that four years after initiating therapy, HIV patients were 90% as likely to be working as they were three to five years before starting treatment. Many patients initiated treatment early enough so that they were able to avoid any loss of employment due to HIV. While antiretroviral therapies are known to reduce HIV transmission and prolong lives of many HIV patients, less is known about the economic benefits of treatment. This is the first study to assess the economic impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in a population-based cohort. “We found antiretroviral therapy does not only postpone mortality, it enables HIV patients to lead economically productive lives,” said lead author Jacob Bor, SD’14, an HSPH doctoral candidate in global health and population HIV Patients on Antiretroviral had Nearly Full Recovery of Employment Antiretroviral therapy for HIV may have important economic benefits for patients and their households. We quantified the impact of HIV treatment...
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...human immune deficiency virus (HIV). During an initial infection a person may experience a brief period of influenza like infections and illness. Prolonged periods without treatment cause death. The disease includes tumors, opportunistic infections and damage of the immune system. Transmission of HIV/AIDS is caused by several ways, sexually, exchange of body fluids like blood, serum and saliva and also from mother to child. For the awareness of the people there are a lot of Government and Non-Government organizations that have been founded. These organizations have various educational programs to educate and create awareness. But are these programs reaching the people properly? Are the people following and understanding the information? Is there any decrease or control of deaths and transmission of HIV/AIDS? Many organizations and AIDS types of council are formed in Victoria and many places in Australia. The Victorian AIDS Council has taken a prominent role to control and help in the education and awareness of the people. As HIV/AIDS is transmitted in Victoria especially by men to men, the launch of Gay Men Health Care organizations have been formed for its control. Needs Analysis Design:- The target population of the needs analysis was identified to all the patients who are affected with HIV/AIDS in Gay Men Health Care. This comprises only to the patients who are already affected with HIV/AIDS through gay men intercourse transmission. A search of various Victorian...
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...INTRODUCTION The following paper will serve the purpose of analysing the policy response to HIV and AIDS in Kenya as a case study in East Africa. Kenya has the main organisation which facilitates and controls various HIV and aids policy strategic response which is the national aids control council (NACC). It is the mandate of the Kenya Ministry of Health (MoH) to deliver quality, affordable health care to all citizens of Kenya. Various strategic documents have outlined plans towards achieving this goal, including the Second National Health Sector Strategic Plan (NHSSP II, 2005-2010) and the Kenya National AIDS Strategic Plan (KNASP, 2005-2010).They are various other documents which include the HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Act, 2006 Sexual Offences Act, 2006 Children’s Act, 2001 Medical Laboratory Act, 1999 Science and Technology Act, 1980 Public Health Act (Cap 242) HIV prevalence in Kenya is estimated based on the Demographic and Health Survey (2003 and 2008/9), AIDS Indicator Surveys (KAIS 2007 and 2012) and Antenatal Clinic (ANC) sentinel surveillance. A trend analysis starting from 1990 shows that prevalence in the general population reached a peak of 10.5% in 1995‐96, after which it declined by about 40% to reach approximately 6.7% in 2003. Since then, the prevalence has remained relatively stable. The decline of the prevalence from 1995 to 2003 is partly attributed to high AIDS related mortality while the stabilisation of the epidemic in the last 10 years is...
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...people has AIDS. Some 17 million people in Africa have died representing almost 80% of AIDS deaths world wide. This is the equivalent of the combined populations of New York City and Los Angeles (www.Time/2001/aidsafrica). There is a conspiracy of silence fueling the spread of HIV in South Africa. Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa, and has one of the fastest growing infection rates AIDS is now South Africa's leading cause of death. Last year it accounted for 40% of all deaths between the ages of 15 and 49 (US.news2.yimg.com). By the year 2010, HIV prevalence in adults is projected to reach 25% of the total population. South Africa is projected to have the highest AIDS death rate until 2015. At that point, the population will have decreased to the point that the death rate will no longer be as high as in other areas. South Africa has a population close to 40 million people - an estimated 4.2 million (10.5%) are infected with HIV. Of these, half are women ages 15-49. Over 40% of pregnant women are HIV-positive. The impact of AIDS in South Africa is overwhelming. The disease has orphaned 370,952 children, 95,000 children have been infected with AIDS and the adult prevalence rate of HIV is 20%. While there are limits in extrapolating the general population, it...
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...Mitigation and adaptation measures to HIV/AIDS in the Philippines Mitigation and adaptation measures to HIV/AIDS in the Philippines STS 1 - X GROUP 16 STS 1 - X GROUP 16 Mitigation and adaptation measures to HIV/AIDS in the Philippines ------------------------------------------------- Factolerin, M., Mantala, C.J., Bernardo, M.C., Villa, A., Navarro, A.J., Ausa, E., Obiña, M.L., Velarde, E., Bernabe, M., Lusanta, A., & Bolanos, J. I. Introduction Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a pattern of devastating infections caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmitted through the exchange of a variety of body fluids from infected individuals. It occurs in three ways: sexual transmission, exposure to infected blood or blood products, or perinatal transmission, which includes breastfeeding. The likelihood for transmission is affected by social, cultural, and environmental factors that differ between and within the various regions, countries, and continents. This virus attacks and destroys certain white blood cells that are essential to the body’s immune system (UNAIDS, 2000). When HIV infects a cell, it combines with that cell's genetic material and may lie inactive for years. Most people infected with HIV are still healthy and can live for years with no symptoms or only minor illnesses. They might be infected with HIV, but this does not necessarily mean that they have AIDS. HIV targets CD4+ lymphocytes that help recognize and destroy bacteria, viruses...
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