Showing 1 - 6 of 6 Results for "Honduras"

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Research and interventions are needed to better to support people living with HIV with disclosure and reduce stigma so they can adhere to ART and can continue to have a healthy and safer sex life. In-depth interviews with patients in South Africa who were acutely infected found that patients did not retain the information that they are very likely to transmit HIV and that condom use was particularly important, but were focused on identifying who transmitted HIV to them. In addition, patients were still in shock on learning of their HIV status and did not understand how they could be HIV-positive if they tested negative with a rapid HIV test (Wolpaw et al., 2014). Women who were acutely infected in South Africa faced profound "challenges, immediately after HIV diagnosis" (Tomita et al., 2014b: 1118). Focus groups of women living with HIV found that women were concerned that their access to lifelong treatment when becoming pregnant may discourage their men from condom use, as men know that treatment can decrease the risk of transmission.
Staying Healthy and Reducing Transmission
1 study
Well-functioning laboratory systems are needed to measure viral load via PCR to assess effectiveness of treatment. However, adequate clinical results can also be cost-effective and meet patient needs. A study in sub-Saharan Africa found that more than half of test results for viral load were invalid or inaccurate. A review done in low and middle-income countries showed that lack of routine virologic monitoring in resource limited ART programs led to the development of cross-resistance to the NRTI component of second-line treatment. Even where virological monitoring is available and demonstrates virological failure, delayed switching of patients to alternative antiretroviral therapy regimens occurs.
Provision and Access
1 study
Clear policies and legislation supporting access to information and sexuality education are needed to reduce the risk of HIV transmission among young people. Studies found that sex education was lacking, particularly among street children who are at high risk of HIV acquisition.
Mitigating Risk
1 study
Youth-friendly services are needed within schools to increase access to condoms and/or HIV testing for those who are sexually active. A study found that youth in numerous countries do not have information or access to condoms within school systems.
Increasing Access to Services
1 study
Women and men need accurate information on vertical transmission, treatment adherence strategies, the importance of their viral load and the low risk of vertical transmission if virally suppressed. Adherence has been challenging for women living with HIV postpartum, even for those initiating ART during pregnancy at CD4 counts under 350, with adequate adherence dropping from 75.7% during pregnancy to 53% postpartum globally (Nachega et al., 2012 cited in Coutsoudis et al., 2013). Knowledge of HIV and vertical transmission has shown to be correlated with increased initiation, adherence and retention for pregnant women living with HIV.
Antenatal Care - Treatment
1 study
Intensified efforts are needed to increase male and female condom use and reduce multiple partnerships by people who know their HIV-positive status and are not virally suppressed, including young people. Studies found that consistent condom use between discordant couples (or with partners whose serostatus was unknown) was low and, among those on treatment, decreased over time. Lack of condom use was associated with fear of disclosure. People living with HIV as well as couples also believed that treatment with antiretroviral therapy meant that they were either cured of HIV or could no longer transmit the virus and were less likely to disclose their positive serostatus. In some studies, men are more likely to report condom use than women, "given the limited control that women have over the use of the male condom" (Walusaga et al., 2012: 698). Particular attention is also needed to provide condoms to men living with HIV who frequent sex workers, as well as for sex workers themselves to protect themselves (Paz-Bailey et al., 2012). [See %{s:9}]
Staying Healthy and Reducing Transmission
1 study