<p><strong>Aim </strong>The aim of this study is to investigate the activity participants’ opinions on Kilimanjaro Aids Control Associations’ (KACA) work in combating HIV/AIDS in Moshi, Tanzania, and to examine what they have learnt from participating KACA’s activities. The authors also examined whether the participants thought the activity has influenced on their behaviour.</p><p><strong>Method </strong>The study is an explorative qualitative study with semi-structured interviews. The respondents (20) were purposively selected in order to get balanced representation.</p><p><strong>Results </strong>The majority of respondents were very grateful after being in contact with KACA. According to some of the respondents, KACA supplies needy people with financial as well as mental support. Many of the respondents have been passing on their new knowledge about HIV/AIDS to others, and claimed that they have changed their behaviour.</p><p><strong>Conclusion </strong>Our findings were that the majority of our respondents had positive experiences about KACA’s role in combating HIV/AIDS in the Kilimanjaro area. Almost every respondent claimed they had got new knowledge about HIV/AIDS. The new knowledge led to reduced risk taking behaviour, which we believe can reduce the spread of HIV. Since this study contains 20 respondents, the results can not be generalized.</p>

Aim The aim of this study is to investigate the activity participants’ opinions on Kilimanjaro Aids Control Associations’ (KACA) work in combating HIV/AIDS in Moshi, Tanzania, and to examine what they have learnt from participating KACA’s activities. The authors also examined whether the participants thought the activity has influenced on their behaviour. Method The study is an explorative qualitative study with semi-structured interviews. The respondents (20) were purposively selected in order to get balanced representation. Results The majority of respondents were very grateful after being in contact with KACA. According to some of the respondents, KACA supplies needy people with financial as well as mental support. Many of the respondents have been passing on their new knowledge about HIV/AIDS to others, and claimed that they have changed their behaviour. Conclusion Our findings were that the majority of our respondents had positive experiences about KACA’s role in combating HIV/AIDS in the Kilimanjaro area. Almost every respondent claimed they had got new knowledge about HIV/AIDS. The new knowledge led to reduced risk taking behaviour, which we believe can reduce the spread of HIV. Since this study contains 20 respondents, the results can not be generalized.

Since early after its discovery in 1981, AIDS has often been framed as a sexual disease spread through deviant and hypersexualized populations, perhaps nowhere more so than in Africa. Much has been written about the pandemic in Africa, with the majority of recent attention placed on the sexual transmission of the virus. Omitted from the discourse are other possible avenues of transmission. My thesis hopes to highlight this problem by identifying key works contributing to the sexual discourse, and drawing attention to other possible areas of research which could broaden the scope of research on AIDS in Africa. In this thesis, Edward Saids idea of Orientalism is used as a framework through which to understand the creation of the sexual discourse, arguing that it has become dominant and therefore obstructing alternate avenues of scholarship and investigation. Due to this focus on promiscuity and sex, the literature on the transmission through medical injections was omitted. The focus on sexual transmission as the basis of the pandemic has excluded much discussion on other contributing factors, such as poverty. Arguments for the role of poverty in HIV transmission often centre on sex. For example, women forced into transactional sexual relations or sex work, or movements to urbanization that weaken cultural mores and norms and result in promiscuous sexual relations. The emphasis on the sexual transmission of AIDS in Africa, at the expense of thorough analysis of the non-sexual transmission, has stunted the understanding AIDS, placing blame for the transmission onto Africans themselves, turning AIDS into an African problem.

Since early after its discovery in 1981, AIDS has often been framed as a sexual disease spread through deviant and hypersexualized populations, perhaps nowhere more so than in Africa. Much has been written about the pandemic in Africa, with the majority of recent attention placed on the sexual transmission of the virus. Omitted from the discourse are other possible avenues of transmission. My thesis hopes to highlight this problem by identifying key works contributing to the sexual discourse, and drawing attention to other possible areas of research which could broaden the scope of research on AIDS in Africa. In this thesis, Edward Saids idea of Orientalism is used as a framework through which to understand the creation of the sexual discourse, arguing that it has become dominant and therefore obstructing alternate avenues of scholarship and investigation. Due to this focus on promiscuity and sex, the literature on the transmission through medical injections was omitted. The focus on sexual transmission as the basis of the pandemic has excluded much discussion on other contributing factors, such as poverty. Arguments for the role of poverty in HIV transmission often centre on sex. For example, women forced into transactional sexual relations or sex work, or movements to urbanization that weaken cultural mores and norms and result in promiscuous sexual relations. The emphasis on the sexual transmission of AIDS in Africa, at the expense of thorough analysis of the non-sexual transmission, has stunted the understanding AIDS, placing blame for the transmission onto Africans themselves, turning AIDS into an African problem.

Bakgrund: I Sverige lever omkring 6200 personer med HIV/AIDS. HIV är ett virus som ger nedsatt immunförsvar. Obehandlad HIV leder slutligen till AIDS. HIV är en inokulationssmitta och är anmälningspliktig. Det finns bromsmediciner som återställer immunförsvarets funktion och patienter lever symptomfritt. Sjuksköterskan möter dessa patienter genom sitt arbete inom hälso- och sjukvården. Sjuksköterskan skall enligt kompetensbeskrivningen, hälso- och sjukvårdslagen samt ICN:s etiska kod behandla alla lika inför vården. Syfte: Studiens syfte var att beskriva sjuksköterskans erfarenheter av att möta HIV/AIDS-positiva patienter i vården. Design: Deskriptiv empirisk studie med kvalitativ ansats genomfördes. Metod: Urvalet bestod av sjuksköterskor som aktivt arbetade med HIV/AIDS-positiva patienter. Sju sjuksköterskor deltog i studien. Datainsamlingen genomfördes med semistrukturerade intervjuer. En provintervju genomfördes för att undersöka om intervjuguiden mötte studiens syfte. Efter intervjuerna genomförts transkriberades materialet och analyserades enligt anvisningar för kvalitativ innehållsanalys enligt Graneheim och Lundman. Fynd: Dataanalysen resulterade i nio kategorier och 37 underkategorier. Sjuksköterskorna arbetar i interprofessionella team kring HIV/AIDS-positiva patienter och möter dessa dagligen. Relationer utvecklas av kontinuerlig kontakt. Sjuksköterskorna möter dessa patienter utan värderingar och har erfarenheter av fördomar från andra kliniker på sjukhusen. Konklusion: I studien framkom att god kunskap kring HIV/AIDS samt erfarenheter att möta patientgruppen är positiva faktorer som påverkar sjuksköterskans omvårdnadsarbete.

Understanding how inputs influence program outcomes is a key step in designing and implementing quality youth programs to support positive development. While developmental processes are assumed to be universal for all populations, youth who face additional challenges in their development (such as those with chronic illness) may have unique experiences in youth programs. Using Developmental Systems Theory as the guiding theory, the purpose of this study was to understand the developmental context for youth with HIV/AIDS at a barrier-free camp. This study addressed the specific questions: (1) what were the developmental outcomes experienced by youth as a result of attending camp; and (2) what were the processes that facilitated youth development at camp? An interpretive case study employing observations, focus groups, and interviews was used to investigate the research questions. Findings show that camp plays a major developmental role in the lives of youth with HIV/AIDS. Four thematic outcomes of camp emerged: (1) experiencing caring people, (2) developing a sense of belonging, (3) feeling reprieve and recreation, and (4) increasing knowledge, attitudes, and skills. The four themes were strongly linked together, being nested within each other in a temporal order. When campers experienced caring people, they had a sense of belonging. These two relationship-based outcomes opened a space for feelings of reprieve (from responsibilities and stigma at home) and recreation (to engage in fun activities) at camp, and this relaxed space provided an opportunity for increasing knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Processes that contributed most to the campers? experiences of caring people were long-term relationships, outside of camp support, exposure and storytelling, and Teen Talk (an educational workshop). Processes contributing to campers? development of a sense of belonging were acculturation into the camp; an educational activity called Teen Talk, medication taking, grieving, aging out of camp, and storytelling. Processes contributing to campers? experiences of reprieve and recreation were camp activities (including Teen Talk); planning for the needs of campers, accessibility, and freedom from worry. Processes contributing to campers? development of knowledge, attitudes, and skills were education through Teen Talk, and non-Teen Talk education. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.

This thesis addresses two important topics in HIV-1 medicine; (i) the clinical relevance of pre-treatment G-A hypermutation and the contribution of host and viral genetics to its development and; (ii) the influence of genetic variation in host enzymes responsible for antiretroviral drug metabolism on response to therapy. These themes are outlined below. HIV-1 Hypermutation At present, limited data exists regarding the relative roles of host encoded cytidine deaminases APOBEC3G and APOBEC3F in promoting G-A hypermutation of HIV-1 proviral DNA in vivo, nor the clinical relevance of hypermutation or the influence of genetic diversity of the APOBEC3G locus and of the viral encoded vif protein that counteracts the action of APOBEC3G. The analyses contained within this thesis demonstrate that within the WA HIV cohort, clinically relevant hypermutation is restricted to a minority of individuals and is mediated predominantly by APOBEC3G. In this study, the presence of HIV-1 hypermutation had a substantially greater effect on plasma viremia than other known host antiviral factors such as CCR5D32 or specific HLA-B alleles. Furthermore, the considerable genetic diversity of the vif gene is likely to make a greater contribution to the development of hypermutation than the limited genetic diversity of the APOBEC3G gene in Caucasians. These data indicate that G-A hypermutation is a clinically relevant phenomenon and may provide a fresh perspective to the area of HIV/AIDS therapies. Genetic Determinant of HIV-1 Treatment Response Thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) and thymidylate kinase (dTMPK) are rate limiting enzymes for the metabolism of the antiretrovirals d4T and AZT, respectively, and are thus central to the antiviral efficacy and toxicity of these agents. However, the genetic diversity of TK2 and dTMPK and their influence on toxicities associated with their use is largely unknown. The results discussed in this thesis indicate that in contrast to the highly conserved TK2 locus, the dTMPK locus of Caucasian individuals, including regulatory regions potentially influencing transcription and translation, is considerably polymorphic and organised into five common haplotypes. The results regarding the contribution of dTMPK genetic variation to toxicities associated with AZT therapy are encouraging. A common dTMPK haplotype had significant, albeit modest, effect on haematological parameters (haemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume) in HIV-infected patients, although no AZT-specific treatment effect was observed in this relatively haematologically stable cohort. In addition, another common dTMPK haplotype provided significant protection against AZT-induced adipocyte mtDNA depletion in a pilot study of AZT- and d4T-treated individuals. The dTMPK haplotypes characterised in this thesis should facilitate further studies regarding dTMPK genetic variation in HIV-1 infection and response to treatment, which are warranted from the clinical results presented herein.

Boston University. University Professors Program Senior theses. / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-02

Magister Artium - MA / This study is a descriptive study and describes the effects of religious beliefs and stigma toward people living with HIV/AIDS. The religions looked at were Islam, Christianity and Hinduism and it was conducted in the community of Cravenby, situated in Cape Town. Its objectives were to investigate; how religion affected people’s attitudes to HIV/AIDS within Cravenby; to investigate how religious beliefs may lead to stigma; does religion allow an individual to disclose his or her HIV status if they are HIV positive; how religion may affect one’s sexual behaviour and how much is known about HIV by people living in Cravenby. The study employed qualitative research methods and the method of data collection was implemented through the use of in depth interviews with community residents. Content analysis was used to analyse the data, with findings showing that those living with HIV/AIDS deserved to be treated with respect and empathy. Respondent's knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS was very good and showed that few people have not heard about HIV/AIDS. Stigma is defined as an attribute that is significantly discrediting and is used to set an affected person or group apart from a normalized social order and the use of such separation implies devaluation. Religiously based stigma towards those living with HIV/AIDS arose from people’s personal beliefs and justification because they did not adhere to religious teachings and injunctions. Respondents saw religion as serving to promote cleanliness, marital harmony and respecting one's self and towards others. Biographical disruption implies that a person’s stock of knowledge of their selves and social world are disrupted by the experience of illness and suggests that explanatory frameworks normally used to understand daily life are disrupted. The study recommends having a joint forum which is attended by Muslims, Christians and Hindus discussing HIV/AIDS would help to address incorrect and or incomplete knowledge and beliefs around HIV/AIDS in the community.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T23:14:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo4237_1.pdf: 706173 bytes, checksum: 0a80ff1a852fbe51d63316c5be96f4e7 (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Este trabalho analisa o papel das redes sociais na organização da solidariedade em relação às pessoas soropositivas e com AIDS. O objetivo central desse estudo consistiu em analisar os padrões de laços que unem as pessoas que vivem com o HIV e/ou AIDS e mostrar as implicações de suas redes de relações sociais significativas, ativadas no enfrentamento do HIV/AIDS, na estruturação de ações coletivas e organizadas, como respostas à epidemia da AIDS, e no surgimento de identidades coletivas, elemento fundamental para a articulação dos portadores nas esferas públicas de sociabilidade. Trata-se de uma pesquisa exploratória e descritiva, de caráter qualitativo, realizada com doze sujeitos, homens e mulheres, adultos, que são assistidos na delegacia de saúde da Praia, em Cabo Verde, arquipélago localizado no oceano atlântico a 450 km da costa ocidental do continente africano. O estudo mostrou que não obstante em Cabo Verde existam experiências de organização em rede, tanto a nível das organizações da sociedade civil, quanto a nível da cooperação internacional, que moldam e condicionam a forma através da qual a sociedade cabo-verdiana tem respondido à epidemia do HIV/AIDS, a organização das pessoas portadoras do HIV/AIDS em rede constitui umas das fraquezas das respostas não governamentais e comunitárias à AIDS, em Cabo Verde. A reconstituição das redes egocentradas dos sujeitos entrevistados evidencia estruturas de redes com baixo potencial de organização e estruturação de ações coletivas