Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2011. / A convenience sample of 10 HIV-positive lay counsellors from Africa International Research Centre, Mtubatuba, Zululand, participated in the study of humour therapy evaluation. Humour therapy was used as an intervention strategy, which took place in a group format. Three humour therapy sessions were conducted per week over a period of two weeks. Beck’s Anxiety Inventory was the chosen standardized instrument used to pre- and post-test anxiety levels of the participants. Individual interviews were also used to evaluate participants’ perceptions of humour therapy (pre- and post-intervention). Ninety percent of the participants found humour therapy to be effective, with the exception of one participant who on pre- and post-assessment had equal measurements, indicating no improvement or negative effects. A self-help tool was given to participants to utilize for a period of three months following the humour therapy intervention. Three of the ten participants chose not to use the self-help tool. Out of the seven participants who did make use of the tool, five found it helpful (maintained decreased anxiety levels), while two did not find it useful.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Sociology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2015 / The KwaSomkhele Reserve, the rural area of Mtubatuba has had a noticeable increase of adolescents who got infected with HI-Virus in the area in recent years. Hence, the researcher became interested to investigate the conditions leading to increased HIV infections amongst adolescents. The reasons for the continued increase of HIV infections regardless of massive campaigns that were conducted in their area were investigated. To give meaning to the objectives of the study, the sampling of 200 adolescents was targeted as participants in the initial stages of the research which included both school children and out of school adolescents. Availability sampling was chosen for this study. It is a method of choosing subjects who are available to find. The primary advantage of this method is that it is easy to carry out, relatively to other methods. Availability sampling is a non-probability sampling. The subjects in the non-probability sampling are also selected conveniently for the ease of data and it entails lower costs (Othman et al, 2013:133). However, due to the challenges that were experienced with the Department of Education in terms of the protocols to be followed, only 100 out of school youth as participants were interviewed. It was discovered that the adolescents of KwaSomkhele were aware of HIV/AIDS through HIV/AIDS programs that had been conducted by different government departments in their area, but most of them chose to ignore the information given to them. Conclusions were drawn and recommendations were made based on the objectives of the study and theories that were used. The researcher has learnt that adolescents are the most vulnerable group in our society because they are faced with the critical transition of moving from puberty stage to adulthood. That transition sometimes forced them to take uninformed decisions and engaged in reckless and risky behaviors which could sometimes lead some of them to be infected by HI-Virus. As a solution to that, the researcher suggests the involvement of stakeholders in providing the necessary support and promoting good and acceptable behaviors by adolescents.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the Masters in Social Work in the Department of Social Work at the University of Zululand, 2017. / Parental loss has a devastating effect on the lives of the orphaned children as it brings about many changes and difficulties in different areas of a child’s life. The children face difficulties educationally, socially, financially and psychologically when they experience such loss. The impact of parental loss can be traced to many conducts or behavioural problems that children manifest later in life. The essence of the study was to explore the after-math that orphaned children face once the parents are deceased and what impact it has had on them in their continuation of life within the boundaries mentioned above (educationally, socially, financially, and psychologically). The significance of the study was to provide an improved understanding of the current state of the orphaned children in their new places of care post parental loss given the assistance that they receive from the government (monetary grants) and civil society including international donors to mend their situation. The researcher’s focus was on uncovering the re-arrangement of the orphan’s lifestyle holistically after a parental loss and how it has negatively affected them. To attain the research aim, a qualitative research method was employed and an exploratory research design was followed. Unstructured interviews were used to collect data having an interview schedule as a guide for question flow and for the purposes of employing neutral probing should the need arise. 10 participants, five females and five males were purposively selected to participate in the study. The participants were orphaned children who receive support from a local Community Based Organization (CBO) called Thembalethu, which is located in Thalaneni area. The data analysis of the study discovered that orphaned children do face different distresses after the death of their parents and effects are deeper. Educationally the children have been affected as they have had to relocate to the new places of care, leaving the schools they attended and adapt to the new school coupled with the loss that has been experienced. This has yielded in orphaned children’s poor academic performance in school. Socially the children have taken a strain as it was reported that the decision of who assumes care for them never lies with them and they end up in the care of a person whom they rarely knew. As many orphaned children are recipients of the social assistance in the form of foster care grant and child support grant, the decision about the use of their grant money has also lied with their caregivers and v ultimately benefited other people who are in the household due to the overwhelming number of people that need to be cared for. Psychosocial support has been seen to be the greatest need by the orphaned children as it was reported that they face psychosocial distresses due to not receiving thorough counselling regarding the loss that they have experienced. Other children have been compelled to move on with life without grieving properly for their parents and they have suffered the effects of lack of bereavement support. Upon the realization of these challenges, the researcher, therefore, recommended that close supervision of the cases of foster care be implemented by social service practitioners in the government and non-governmental sector in order to follow-up and make progress with placements and be kept abreast of these challenges. Parenting skills are also seen to be needed by the relatives that assume care for the orphaned children so as to improve the standard of living amongst the orphaned children and the new caregiver.

The study is an inquiry of sexual networks in the Johanne Marange apostolic community. The study is a conceptual shift in the study of HIV transmission, with focus moving beyond the individual and beyond the principles of desire, pleasure and procreation to a study of sexual networks which are social structures. The study identifies the type of sexual networks and further investigates the determinants of sexual networks in Marange community. Sexual networks are simply webs of sexual relations in a community or society and these webs of relations act as transmission highways for HIV. The study discusses all the complex interactions between the domain of society that is religion, culture, history and environment of the Marange community and uncovers how these aspects of society have influenced the shape and structure of sexual networks in the community. The study also emphasizes the importance of understanding sexual network structure as it influences the efficiency of HIV transmission and aims to contribute to a better understanding of sexual networks and HIV transmission.

ABSTRACT Introduction: As the impact of HIV/AIDS on the business sector has become more visible, businesses have increasingly seen the advantages of creating HIV/AIDS management programmes for their workplaces – and some even beyond the workplace, to their surrounding communities. The aim of the study was to determine the effect and benefit of a large company’s HIV/AIDS workplace wellness programme. Study objectives were to a) describe the effect of the wellness programme as measured by differences in CD4 counts and percentages, weight, episodes of diarrhoea and sick leave; and b) to explore the perceptions and views of the occupational health nursing practitioners (OHNPs) regarding what they observe the benefit of the wellness programme to be on the general sense of health and well-being of the HIV-positive employees. Materials and methods: The study was performed at 10 of the Gauteng factories of a large multi-national packaging company. Quantitative data was collected by means of a confidential retrospective review of 36 HIV-positive employees’ occupational health records. Mostly descriptive and some inferential data analysis was performed. Qualitative measurement was done through semi-structured interviews with nine OHNPs to gain information about their perceptions and opinions regarding the benefit of the wellness programme. Thematic analysis of qualitative data was carried out. Results: The benefit of the HIV workplace wellness programme was not seen when considering CD4 counts and CD4 percentages. Episodes of diarrhoea over time and absenteeism data also did not show any benefit. However, changes in weight were observed (participants gained an average of 1.5kg over the study period) although this was not statistically significant. The qualitative data showed that employees benefit from the wellness programme, particularly in terms of their physical and mental well-being. Emerging themes related to fear of loosing one’s job and denial of the reality of HIV/AIDS; stigma and discrimination in the workplace and in the community at large; trust versus mistrust of the Company’s HIV management system; acceptance of the condition; the acceptability of nutritional supplements; and the general benefit of the wellness programme. Other related themes that emerged included issues regarding VCT, peer education, the provision of anti-retroviral therapy (ART), the role of trade unions, barriers in the public health care system and OHNPs’ frustrations with the wellness programme. Discussion: The most beneficial aspect of the wellness programme appeared to be the trust relationship that employees on the wellness programme have with the OHNPs. Because of this, employees experience a sense of support and are more likely to accept their HIV-positive condition. This contributes to a sense of mental well-being. Early intervention and better management of the condition also occur and there is better compliance to treatment and disease management protocols. There was also a general sentiment that there were benefits in the use of nutritional supplements. Employees reported feeling healthier (e.g. having more energy when using nutritional supplements) and this contributed to a sense of physical well-being. A big challenge is to overcome mistrust amongst the general employee population who have not joined the wellness programme and to deal with the ever-present issues relating to the fear of loosing their job if found to be HIV-positive as well as denial of the condition. This fear and denial perpetuates the reality of discrimination and stigmatisation, which inevitably negatively affects the social well-being of HIV-positive employees. Limitations of the study included a small sample size; inconsistent data collection methods by the OHNPs in the various clinics; the complicated nature of nutritional supplementation, which makes it difficult to study superficially; and that HIV-positive employees could not be interviewed directly as they were not willing to be interviewed. Recommendations: Further research should be performed in the area of workplace wellness programmes. More efficient data collection systems should be put in place to measure the impact of HIV/AIDS and the effectiveness of workplace interventions. HIV-positive employees who have disclosed their status could be used as positive role models in HIV/AIDS programmes. Confidentiality protocols should continue to be strictly adhered to as this promotes the trust relationship. An HIV/AIDS nutritional expert should be involved in advising about the use of optimal supplements in the wellness programmes as OHNPs have differing opinions. Other health professionals could be involved in HIV wellness programmes, e.g. occupational therapists, social workers, etc. Companies should investigate how they can get involved in HIV/AIDS-related activities and partnerships in the communities where their employees live as many employees struggle with issues of poverty over-and-above being HIV-positive.

Background: HIV prevalence is increasing and more people are being infected despite the messages and the advertising.1 Namibia has one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the world of 21.3% as at end of 2002. Two hundred and ten thousand people were estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS, more than one in five adults.2 Disclosure is very important for the prevention and control of HIV infection and is an essential part of behaviour modification, access and adherence to treatment. Aim: To determine knowledge, attitudes, and practices of HIV positive patients regarding disclosure of HIV results at Betesda clinic in Namibia. Objectives: To determine the participant profile, reasons for disclosure and non disclosure, to explore attitudes, knowledge and to understand practices of HIV positive patients with regard to disclosure of HIV results. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study done at Betesda clinic a private clinic in Katutura a high density suburb of Windhoek. Two hundred and sixty three HIV positive patients tested after 2004 were entered into the study. Convenience sampling of all willing HIV positive patients was done. A questionnaire was used; a professional interpreter and a counsellor were available. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from Betesda management; ethical clearance was obtained from the Post Graduate Committee and Human Research Committee of the University of the Witwatersrand. Epi Info statistical software package version 3.4.1 July 3 2007 was used to analyze data. An expert statistician was utilized to assist with analyzing data. Results: Two hundred and sixty three respondents were entered into the study. Sixty four percent were males, 41% were married, 28% were single, and 27% were cohabitating. 68% responded positively to what they thought about disclosure. Reasons for disclosure were 32% needed help, 25% partner to go for testing and 20% to let relatives know. Reasons for non disclosure were mainly fear of gossiping 79%. Seventy three percent had disclosed 60% within one week of knowing the results. Seventy three percent had disclosed to their partners, 23% had disclosed to more than one person. People’s reactions were 43% supportive, 29% understood, 9% accepted and 6% angry. Upon disclosure 40% received help, 24% partners were tested, 23% received psychological support and 5% were stigmatized. Disclosure was found to be higher among the married and cohabitating. Conclusion: Knowledge of disclosure was positive; most thought disclosure was important and good. Attitudes and practices towards disclosure were encouraging; people were disclosing but to trusted individuals in the society and fear of stigma was still there but actual stigma was very low.

Background: HIV/AIDS remains a global concern that, although manageable using anti-retroviral therapy (ART), is still eluded by a cure with paucity of knowledge regarding its acquisition and spread especially through the male genital tract (MGT)1–4. Several authors have shown the human foreskin to be an effective mucosal effector site with heterogenous populations of innate and adaptive immune cells, that are permissive to HIV infection5–8. In support of this, medical male circumcision (MMC), has been reported to confer up to 60 % risk reduction in HIV acquisition9–17. Most studies have focused on investigating blood lymphoid immune cells and their interaction with HIV-1, this study sought to elucidate the myeloid cell composition of the inner and outer foreskin, and to investigate the susceptibility of these cells to ex vivo HIV infection by (i) Isolating migratory and non-migratory Langerhans cells (LCs) and “macrophage-like” cells from the foreskin epidermis (ii) Immunophenotyping and characterising foreskin LCs and “macrophage-like” cells using CD4+CCR5+ as proxy for HIV susceptibility, HLA-DR+CD80/86+ for maturation, and the mannose receptor, DC-SIGN and Siglec-1 as HIV attachment factors and (iii) Investigating the HIV susceptibility of foreskin epidermal cells using an optimised ex vivo pluricellular foreskin infection model of suspension cells. Methodology: Foreskin specimen were obtained from 60 seronegative adult South African men (aged 18-35 years) undergoing voluntary medical male circumcision (vMMC). Migratory and non-migratory foreskin cells were isolated from the inner and outer foreskin using spontaneous migration and enzymatic digestion of remnant epidermal tissue respectively, and subsequently immunophenotyped using multiparameter flow cytometry (n=31). The optimal HIV infection model was determined through assessment of different infection models inclusive of i) epidermal sheets, ii) foreskin explants and iii) pluricellular suspension cells (n=5). Using the ex vivo pluricellular foreskin infection model of suspension cells (n=17), Subtype C transmitted founder (T/F) and chronic infection derived (CC) infectious molecular clones (IMCs) were used alongside Subtype B NL4-3 IMCs with CCR5, CXCR4 and BaL envelopes. The extent of HIV infection was quantified by measurement of p24 in different immune cell subsets over a time-course. The different HIV infected cell subsets were characterized using CD45, CD207, CD1a, CD11c, CD14, CD3, HLA-DR, CD80/86, CD209, CD206, CD169, CD4 and CCR5. Results: Foreskin myeloid cells contained a rare population of LCs (1.11 % ± 1.02 %;) that was predominantly migratory (p = 0.0084) and “macrophage-like” cells (9.87 % ± 9.64 %) that, in addition to being 8-fold more abundant (p

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. 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. / Despite evidence that Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is not transmitted through casual contact, people continue to demonstrate behaviors which indicate a fear of casual-contact transmission. This has been identified as contributing to the social isolation experienced by people with AIDS. This study was undertaken to determine the relationships among AIDS Knowledge (AK), Perceived Susceptibility (PS) to casual-contact transmission of HIV and Social Distance (SO), or the degree of hesitancy to interact with people with AIDS in casual-contact situations. The study was conducted in a Vermont community; an area with a low incidence of AIDS. Sixty eight subjects, from a random, digit-dialing sampling technique, were interviewed by telephone. Instrumentation consisted of: an AIDS Knowledge Tool, a six-item tool to measure PS to casual-contact transmission of HIV, a six-item SD scale to measure the level of casual-contact at which the individual would hesitate to interact with a person with AIDS, and demographic information. The scales measuring PS and SD were developed by the investigator. A negative, significant relationship was observed between AK and PS, and a positive, significant relationship was found between PS and SD. The relationship between AK and SD did not reach significance levels. A subscale of 9 Transmission-Related AIDS Knowledge items was developed and was found to have a stronger, negative relationship with PS, and a negative, significant relationship with SD. It was concluded that the findings, despite the methodological limitations, warranted further study with a larger, more diverse sample and to further develop instrumentation. The association between TransmissionRelated AK and both PS and SD indicates that education programs, specifically related to transmission may impact people's fears of casual contact transmission and their distancing behavior. / 2999-01-01

Thesis (MSc (Psychology))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / As part of the South African government’s strategy to support those with HIV/AIDS and their relatives, HIV/AIDS service points have been established at Public Health Facilities. An increasing number of HIV-positive children and their caretakers receive treatment here. Indirectly the paediatric patients’ uninfected caretakers and the adult patients’ children also come into contact with the Public Health System during visits. The HIV-positive and uninfected children and caretakers form a heterogeneous HIV/AIDS-affected population, which may experience particular fears due to their particular circumstances. Circumstance-particular coping strategies may be necessary. Children do, however, also experience normative childhood fears and their coping strategies display developmental characteristics. Direct and indirect learning experiences furthermore may contribute to children’s experience of fear. The participants were 40 HIV/AIDS-affected children (M = 9.4 years; HIV-positive = 30.0%) and their caretakers (N = 34; M = 36.7 years; HIV-positive = 76.5%) who had been in contact with the Public Health System of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. There were five sub-objectives. Regarding the children the objectives were to consider, against the background of normative literature, whether the target group was a special population regarding their (1) fears and (2) coping strategies. Furthermore the objective was (3) to get to know the children’s world through their learning experiences. Concerning the caretakers the objectives were to explore their personal (4) fears and (5) coping strategies. In addition the caretakers’ perceptions about their children’s fears and coping strategies were gathered. The study was explorative and a mixed methodological research model was used. Data were gathered through individual interviews. The children also completed the Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test (GHD) and the caregivers a demographic questionnaire. Data were analysed by using a combination of qualitative and quantitative strategies. The children reported normative childhood fears, mainly of wild animals. A substantial minority of the children reported fears connected to crime, an unsafe transport system, death, illness, and HIV/AIDS and special circumstances were therefore identified. The children’s coping strategies were circumstance-specific and problem-focused avoidance reported most. Living in a modern society these children’s fears have also been influenced by for instance television. The fears and coping strategies reported by the children and their care-takers’ perceptions thereof, concurred. The caretakers’ personal fears mainly were connected to psycho-social needs and social roles, which stand central during adulthood. Specifically fears about the children’s welfare were reported most. The caretakers reported crime and animalrelated fears similar to their children. A search for social support as well as preventative action were the coping strategies that were reported most. A noteworthy preventative-action strategy seemed to be healthy eating habits, given the controversy about natural products being used as HIV/AIDS treatment within the South African context. The findings were integrated within a systems-theoretical framework. The fears and coping strategies of the HIV/AIDSaffected children and their caretakers were interpreted to be the result of an interaction between their personal characteristics and their social environment.