<p>Voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) programmese have been regarded as an important strategy in the management of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This is in light of having statistics showing only one in five South Africans who know about voluntary counselling and testing also went for testing/ The aim of this study was to get a better understanding of the barriers whoch prevented student nurses from participating in voluntary HIV counselling and testing, explore their knowledge of the VCT process, explore factors which influence their decision to test or not to test and their perception of the VCT programme in their college.</p>

<p>Voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) programmese have been regarded as an important strategy in the management of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This is in light of having statistics showing only one in five South Africans who know about voluntary counselling and testing also went for testing/ The aim of this study was to get a better understanding of the barriers whoch prevented student nurses from participating in voluntary HIV counselling and testing, explore their knowledge of the VCT process, explore factors which influence their decision to test or not to test and their perception of the VCT programme in their college.</p>

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2004. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

This study was motivated by the commitment of the researcher to contribute towards the agenda for the development of women, in particular women affected and infected with HIV/Aids, through a better understanding and improved knowledge of the national and international legal and policy framework aimed at empowering women in South Africa. This study builds on countless efforts which have been implemented internationally to transform the world and create a peaceful and liveable world for women who have been historically oppressed, unrecognised and, in the case of women affected and infected with HIV, stigmatised. An increasing trend towards recognising the need to advance women and acknowledge their status in the community on the part of the international community was observed and then explored in the literature review which was conducted for the purposes of the study. The development of women is dependent on an enabling environment which is free from all forms of discrimination. Poverty, gender-based violence, cultural perceptions, as well as traditional and religious practices, all contribute to the challenges facing women. In addition, HIV/Aids is a continuous threat and impacts greatly on the lives of both women and their families. The aim of the study was to explore the contribution that the Commission of Gender Equality (CGE) makes towards a better quality of life for women and also to contribute to the development of a strategy to optimise the integration of HIV/Aids issues into the mandate of the CGE. The requisite data was collected through an extensive literature study of the research field, a document analysis and personal interviews with Commissioners of the CGE. The data were complemented and supported by the inputs of focus groups in which community members provided inputs about their experiences of the role played by the CGE at a community level. ii Data revealed limitations in the effective functioning and the measurable impact of the CGE. These were subsequently addressed in the design of a suggested strategic plan. The limitations included aspects relating to CGE organisational structure; the knowledge and skills of personnel, the lack of role clarification; the lack of a coordinated strategy; as well as a deficient working plan which, in its current format, shows a lack of continuity as a result of high staff turnover, a weak continuity strategy when commissioners’ term of office ends, limitations in terms of financial resources, and the absence of monitoring and control systems. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

Stigma and discrimination (SAD) attached to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has been recognised as a major obstacle to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support throughout the world. SAD is more devastating when it occurs in health care settings where it is least expected. Health care providers (HCPs) are supposed to provide physical, social and psychological support to people living with HIV (PLWHA) but HIV and AIDS-related SAD has been extensively documented among the HCPs. Different studies have pointed out that there are three major actionable causes of HIV-related SAD in health care settings. These are lack of awareness among HCPs, fear of casual contacts and associating the SAD to immoral behaviour. The main objective of the current study is to determine the magnitude of HIV and AIDS-related SAD and its associated factors in hospitals and then to propose appropriate SAD reduction-intervention strategy in the health care settings. The study employed pre-test-post-test design with non-equivalent control group. Two paradigms were used in this study including quantitative and qualitative approaches. The sampling method for the quantitative part of the study was probability sampling in which the respondents were randomly selected using stratified sampling technique. The study was able to determine the magnitude of HIV and AIDS-related SAD among the HCPs. Moreover, the study has identified the factors that are attributed to the prevalence of SAD in the hospitals. The major factors identified for causing the SAD in the hospitals were sex, age, work experience, low level of knowledge, negative attitudes and percieved risk of HIV infection of some HCPs toward the PLWHA. The intervention made on the respondents in the treatment group was able to reduce the overall prevalence of the SAD among the HCPs. The study suggests that to reduce the SAD, HIV and AIDS-related trainings before and after graduation is critical to improve the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the HCPs. Besides, ensuring the availability of the protective supplies in hospitals is crucial in reducing the fear of HIV infection among the HCPs while providing care for HIV positive patients. Effective implementation of the hospital policies, strategies, guidelines and protocols along with good institutional support is also vital in creating safe and user-friendly hospitals for PLWHA / Health Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

Stigma and discrimination (SAD) attached to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has been recognised as a major obstacle to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support throughout the world. SAD is more devastating when it occurs in health care settings where it is least expected. Health care providers (HCPs) are supposed to provide physical, social and psychological support to people living with HIV (PLWHA) but HIV and AIDS-related SAD has been extensively documented among the HCPs. Different studies have pointed out that there are three major actionable causes of HIV-related SAD in health care settings. These are lack of awareness among HCPs, fear of casual contacts and associating the SAD to immoral behaviour. The main objective of the current study is to determine the magnitude of HIV and AIDS-related SAD and its associated factors in hospitals and then to propose appropriate SAD reduction-intervention strategy in the health care settings. The study employed pre-test-post-test design with non-equivalent control group. Two paradigms were used in this study including quantitative and qualitative approaches. The sampling method for the quantitative part of the study was probability sampling in which the respondents were randomly selected using stratified sampling technique. The study was able to determine the magnitude of HIV and AIDS-related SAD among the HCPs. Moreover, the study has identified the factors that are attributed to the prevalence of SAD in the hospitals. The major factors identified for causing the SAD in the hospitals were sex, age, work experience, low level of knowledge, negative attitudes and percieved risk of HIV infection of some HCPs toward the PLWHA. The intervention made on the respondents in the treatment group was able to reduce the overall prevalence of the SAD among the HCPs. The study suggests that to reduce the SAD, HIV and AIDS-related trainings before and after graduation is critical to improve the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the HCPs. Besides, ensuring the availability of the protective supplies in hospitals is crucial in reducing the fear of HIV infection among the HCPs while providing care for HIV positive patients. Effective implementation of the hospital policies, strategies, guidelines and protocols along with good institutional support is also vital in creating safe and user-friendly hospitals for PLWHA / Health Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)