Section A provides a conceptual critical review of the literature pertinent to the consideration of Mothers living with HIV/AIDS (MLWHA), with a particular focus on African mothers. This review first highlights relevant contextual factors, including discussing prevalence rates and the current reconceptualisations of HIV. This is followed by theories and research relevant to MLWHA, whilst considering wider contextual, social and cultural factors. Thirdly, the theoretical links of the reviewed literature to coping models and strategies are made, and specific cultural factors considered. Finally, suggestions for future research are highlighted. Section B provides the findings of a qualitative investigation conducted to explore the experience of African women living in the UK after being diagnosed with HIV during their pregnancy. Twelve participants completed a short demographic questionnaire, and participated in a one-to-one semi-structured interview. The interview was designed to address multiple personal, interpersonal, and systemic issues related to their HIV status, and HIV in the context of motherhood. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Themes which emerged included: HIV being part of one’s wider tapestry, community and systemic influences and responses to HIV, experiencing a different story of HIV, and the mother-child relationship. Strikingly, the aspect of HIV that these women reported finding most distressing was their inability to breastfeed, which seemed central to their cultural identity as mothers. While the generalisability of these findings is clearly limited, nevertheless it seems important for clinicians to (i) recognise that HIV may not always be the primary difficulty facing their clients, and may be amongst numerous other factors, (ii) consider systemic and contextual factors, including cultural influences and past trauma, (iii) focus on client resources and capacity for resilience, and (iv) support clients to access local resources, including support groups, (v) attend to issues around confidentiality, disclosure decisions and breastfeeding, and (vi) hold in mind the potentially powerful and helpful affect for these women of witnessing different narratives around HIV. The continuing need to counteract stigma and discrimination, including from health professionals and from the media, was also apparent. Section C provides a critical appraisal and reflection on the research process, including, evaluating what research skills were learned, which research skills the researcher wishes to develop in the future, what would the researcher have done differently given the chance, how will the research shape or inform the researcher’s clinical practice, and what future research related to the studied area would the researcher consider carrying out.

This study is a Minor Field Study and is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). At the end of 2016 there were 1.4 million people living with HIV in Tanzania; That same year approximately 55.000 people were newly infected with the disease. The most frequent route of infection is through mother to child transmission (MTCT). The risk of transmission can be reduced with the help of medication and other strategies, called prevention of mother-to-child-transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. Tanzania is working actively with these prevention programs, however the rates of MTCT still remains high in the country. Due to their profession, nurses play a significant role in these prevention programs. They have an important role in educating the patients and encouraging a healthier lifestyle. Therefore, it is important to investigate nurses' experiences of working with PMTCT of HIV to gain knowledge and valuable information of their experiences. The aim of the study is to investigate local nurses' experiences of working with PMTCT of HIV in the Rufiji area in Tanzania. The data of the study have been collected through individual interviews with six nurses using a semi-structured guide with open questions. The nurses' experiences of working with PMTCT of HIV covers three key areas. First, they work actively with motivating the mothers in several significant areas, such as motivating the mothers to take a voluntary HIV-test and bringing their partners to undertake the HIV-test. Second, the nurses described the importance of counseling the mothers and their partners. One part in counseling is to get the mother's mind ready to receive the result of the HIV-test. Third, the nurses experienced stigma as something they all had to be aware of and meet in their everyday work life. Stigma from the community and relatives is one reason for poor adherence from the mothers to the PMTCT program.

<b>Background:</b> Women who inject drugs face vast disparities in health outcomes relative to their counterparts in the general population, most notably in HIV. Intimate partner violence (IPV) victimisation has a detrimental individual effect on women's HIV risk behaviour. Furthermore, IPV often co-occurs with substance use and poor mental health among women in high-income countries, but little is known about the cumulative and interactive effects of these conditions on women's HIV risk behaviour in low- and middle-income countries. This thesis applied an ecological approach guided primarily by syndemics theory to understand influences on women's HIV behavioural outcomes. It examined associations and mechanisms linking IPV, substance use, and depression, with HIV sexual and injecting risk outcomes in the first quantitative study of Indonesian women who inject drugs, the Women Speak Out study. <b>Methods:</b> This study combined community-based participatory approaches and extensive formative research with quantitative survey methods. 731 women, ≥18 years of age, and injecting illicit drugs in the preceding year were recruited using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) from urban settings in Greater Jakarta and Bandung, Indonesia. Network characteristics of the sample were assessed using the RDS software package for Stata 14. Data were analysed using multivariate logistic regressions, marginal effects models, and interaction analyses on the additive and multiplicative scales. The study was conducted in collaboration with the Indonesian Drug User Network. <b>Results:</b> Paper 1: Past-year IPV victimisation doubled the odds of engaging in one or more sexual HIV risk behaviours. Several covariates were associated with higher odds of sexual risk behaviour: HIV-positive status, non-injection crystal methamphetamine (crystal meth) use, low educational attainment, younger age, and being single. Co-occurrence of psychological, physical and/or injurious, and sexual forms of IPV had cumulative effects: sexual risk behaviour was reported by 62% of women who did not experience any form of IPV, but increased to 89% among those exposed to all three forms. Paper 2: Past-year IPV elevated women's odds of receptive syringe sharing. These effects remained after controlling for socio-demographic confounders. Two covariates, injecting illicit pharmaceuticals (vs heroin only) and housing instability and/or homelessness, remained associated with receptive syringe sharing in multivariate analyses. Paper 3: More than 1 in 4 women experienced concurrent IPV, depressive symptoms, and crystal meth use. All three exposures had independent negative effects on HIV sexual risk outcomes. The co-occurrence of all three factors produced a 4-fold increase in rates of survival sex work, 5-fold increase in STI symptomatology, and a 7-fold increase in inconsistent condom use. The joint effect of depressive symptoms and crystal meth use together was greater than the product of the estimated effects of each exposure alone on STI symptomatology, indicating an interaction on the multiplicative scale. Statistically-significant positive additive interaction was detected between IPV victimisation and crystal meth on inconsistent condom use; depression and crystal meth on STI symptomatology and on survival sex work; and IPV and depression on STI symptomatology and survival sex work. <b>Conclusion:</b> This thesis provides new evidence of the individual and cumulative effects of IPV, methamphetamine use, and depression on HIV risk outcomes among Indonesian women who inject drugs. The interaction analyses are the first to empirically test the assertion that these co-occurring conditions interact synergistically to increase drug-using women's HIV risk. This thesis furthers our understanding of how syndemics function within women who inject drugs to produce health disparities, and contributes to the problem theory for HIV risk behaviour in this population. The findings of this study have great public health significance and important implications for future longitudinal research, interventions, and policy.

Introdução: Com o surgimento da epidemia da AIDS na década de 80, vários têm sido os desafios enfrentados pela sociedade, devido à rápida disseminação, em escala global. A epidemia acomete cerca de 34 milhões nos diversos continentes, e segundo a UNAIDS (2012), a maior parcela está em países em desenvolvimento. O continente africano, com mais de 800 milhões de habitantes, em 54 países, é o que mais tem sofrido os impactos da doença, apresentando a maior parcela de infectados pelo vírus HIV no mundo, com cerca de 23,5 milhões de infectados registrados. Assim como globalmente, a preocupação que tem suscitado debates é a crescente feminização dessa epidemia em Guiné-Bissau, aumentando as taxas de transmissão vertical do vírus HIV, que, segundo as últimas projeções do país (PEN III, 2012), o risco estimado foi de 8,9 por cento. O advento do antirretroviral (Zidovudina), em 1994, a partir da publicação do protocolo 076 da ACTG veio mudar o cenário da transmissão vertical. Em Guiné-Bissau, a chegada dos antirretrovirais, em 2006, constituiu uma nova fase na luta contra a disseminação do vírus, em particular, no âmbito da transmissão vertical, proporcionando melhor qualidade de vida e chances de uma criança nascer sem AIDS. A ONG Céu e Terras atua no país desde 2001, e, em julho de 2007, adotou o protocolo recomendado pela OMS: tríplice terapia e amamentação exclusiva, visando à redução da transmissão vertical. Objetivo - Analisar a atuação da ONG Associação Céu e Terras quanto à prevenção da transmissão vertical do vírus HIV no contexto da Guiné-Bissau, a partir da introdução do novo protocolo da tríplice terapia antirretroviral e amamentação exclusiva. Método - É um estudo descritivo de dados secundários de mães e de seus filhos, mães estas inscritas no programa da instituição (ONG) Associação Céu e Terras em Bissau, República da Guiné-Bissau, no período de julho de 2007 a junho de 2011. População estudada: 430 mulheres soropositivas e 417 crianças nascidas vivas dessas mães que participaram do programa de prevenção da transmissão vertical na ONG. Para analisar a ocorrência de transmissão vertical nessa população, foram considerados os fatores sociais, culturais, a aderência à terapia, o tipo de aleitamento praticado e via de parto. Para isso, foi usado o programa SPSS 18.0. Resultado - Entre 430 grávidas, houve 7 casos de óbito materno e 417 crianças nasceram vivas, e destas, 347 foram testadas no final do seguimento: 328 resultaram HIV negativas e 19 resultaram HIV positivas, ou seja, ocorreu a transmissão vertical. Das crianças que nasceram vivas, 11 delas morreram antes de completar 18 meses e 13 foram a óbito depois de 18 meses de vida. É importante relatar que ocorreram 13 casos de óbito fetal, excluídos do estudo, por não ter sido feito teste para diagnóstico de HIV/AIDS. Conclusões - No período estudado, a taxa de transmissão vertical foi de 4,6 por cento, Valor esse bem abaixo da estimada pelo governo do país. A análise feita para o período de estudo mostrou uma diminuição da transmissão vertical, sugerindo uma ligeira tendência de queda durante os semestres estudados, mas sem diferença significante entre eles. Observou-se, também, falha na adesão à terapia antirretroviral, sendo essa a principal causa da ocorrência na transmissão vertical; por outro lado, a via de parto e amamentação praticada são fortes aliados nessa ocorrência, sem esquecer-se das questões culturais e sociais, fortemente presentes na sociedade guineense e que influenciam na não efetivação do programa em reduzir a taxa de transmissão vertical e da disseminação do vírus HIV no país / Introduction: With the emergence of the AIDS epidemic in the decade of the eighties. Around the world, there are several challenges faced by society due to its rapid dissemination in global scale. The epidemic affects approximately 34 million people around the world, according to UNAIDS, the largest portion is observed in third world. The African continent with over 800 million inhabitants, which contains 54 countries, is what most has suffered the impact of the disease presenting the largest portion of HIV patients in the world, with about 23.5 million infected registered. As globally, the concern that has sparked debates is the increasing feminization of the virus in Guinea - Bissau, the country which consequently increased rates of vertical transmission of HIV, which according to recent projections, the risk is estimated at 8.9 percent (PEN III,2012). The advent of antiretroviral (zidovudine) in 1994, from the publication of 076 protocol of the ACTG come to change the scenario of vertical transmission. In Guinea-Bissau, the arrival of antiretrovirals in 2006, marked a new phase in the fight against the spread of the vírus particularly in the context of vertical transmission, providing more life quality and chances of a child born without AIDS. The NGO Associação Céu e Terras acts in the country since 2001, and in 2007 adopted the protocol recommended by WHO with triple therapy and exclusive breastfeeding, in order to reduce vertical transmission in the country. Objective - Analyze the performance of the NGO Associação Céu e Terras as the prevention of vertical HIV transmission in the context of Guinea-Bissau. Examine the proposal from the introduction of the new protocol of triple antiretroviral therapy, exclusive breastfeeding, 2007 2011. Method - It is a descriptive study of secondary data from mothers and their children whose women enrolled in the period July 2007 to June 2011 the institution (NGO) Associação Céu e Terras in Bissau, Republic of Guinea-Bissau program. The population studied was composed of 430 HIV-positive women and 417 children born of those mothers who participated in the program to prevent vertical transmission in NGOs. To analyze the occurrence of vertical transmission in this population were analyzed mainly the social, cultural, the adherence to therapy, the type of breastfeeding practiced and route of delivery. For data analysis, we used the SPSS 18.0 program. Result - among 430 pregnant there were 7 cases of maternal deaths and 417 children were born alive, among these, 347 children were tested at final follow up, 328 resulted HIV negative and 19 HIV positive, meaning, the transmission vertical occurred. Of the live births, 11 of them died before reaching 18 months and 13 have died after 18 months of life. It is important to report that 13 cases of fetal death. Conclusions - Among this population during that period, the rate of vertical transmission was 4.6 percent. Amount which well below the estimated by the government. The analysis made for the study period showed a decrease in vertical transmission, have suggested a slight decreasing trend during the semesters studied, but no difference between them. It was also observed failure in adherence to antiretroviral therapy being the main cause of this occurrence in the transmission, on the other hand, the mode of delivery and breastfeeding practiced are strong allies in this occurrence, without forgetting the cultural and social issues strongly present in Guinean society that influence the effectiveness of the program in not further reduce the rate of vertical transmission and spread of HIV in the country

Introdução: Com o surgimento da epidemia da AIDS na década de 80, vários têm sido os desafios enfrentados pela sociedade, devido à rápida disseminação, em escala global. A epidemia acomete cerca de 34 milhões nos diversos continentes, e segundo a UNAIDS (2012), a maior parcela está em países em desenvolvimento. O continente africano, com mais de 800 milhões de habitantes, em 54 países, é o que mais tem sofrido os impactos da doença, apresentando a maior parcela de infectados pelo vírus HIV no mundo, com cerca de 23,5 milhões de infectados registrados. Assim como globalmente, a preocupação que tem suscitado debates é a crescente feminização dessa epidemia em Guiné-Bissau, aumentando as taxas de transmissão vertical do vírus HIV, que, segundo as últimas projeções do país (PEN III, 2012), o risco estimado foi de 8,9 por cento. O advento do antirretroviral (Zidovudina), em 1994, a partir da publicação do protocolo 076 da ACTG veio mudar o cenário da transmissão vertical. Em Guiné-Bissau, a chegada dos antirretrovirais, em 2006, constituiu uma nova fase na luta contra a disseminação do vírus, em particular, no âmbito da transmissão vertical, proporcionando melhor qualidade de vida e chances de uma criança nascer sem AIDS. A ONG Céu e Terras atua no país desde 2001, e, em julho de 2007, adotou o protocolo recomendado pela OMS: tríplice terapia e amamentação exclusiva, visando à redução da transmissão vertical. Objetivo - Analisar a atuação da ONG Associação Céu e Terras quanto à prevenção da transmissão vertical do vírus HIV no contexto da Guiné-Bissau, a partir da introdução do novo protocolo da tríplice terapia antirretroviral e amamentação exclusiva. Método - É um estudo descritivo de dados secundários de mães e de seus filhos, mães estas inscritas no programa da instituição (ONG) Associação Céu e Terras em Bissau, República da Guiné-Bissau, no período de julho de 2007 a junho de 2011. População estudada: 430 mulheres soropositivas e 417 crianças nascidas vivas dessas mães que participaram do programa de prevenção da transmissão vertical na ONG. Para analisar a ocorrência de transmissão vertical nessa população, foram considerados os fatores sociais, culturais, a aderência à terapia, o tipo de aleitamento praticado e via de parto. Para isso, foi usado o programa SPSS 18.0. Resultado - Entre 430 grávidas, houve 7 casos de óbito materno e 417 crianças nasceram vivas, e destas, 347 foram testadas no final do seguimento: 328 resultaram HIV negativas e 19 resultaram HIV positivas, ou seja, ocorreu a transmissão vertical. Das crianças que nasceram vivas, 11 delas morreram antes de completar 18 meses e 13 foram a óbito depois de 18 meses de vida. É importante relatar que ocorreram 13 casos de óbito fetal, excluídos do estudo, por não ter sido feito teste para diagnóstico de HIV/AIDS. Conclusões - No período estudado, a taxa de transmissão vertical foi de 4,6 por cento, Valor esse bem abaixo da estimada pelo governo do país. A análise feita para o período de estudo mostrou uma diminuição da transmissão vertical, sugerindo uma ligeira tendência de queda durante os semestres estudados, mas sem diferença significante entre eles. Observou-se, também, falha na adesão à terapia antirretroviral, sendo essa a principal causa da ocorrência na transmissão vertical; por outro lado, a via de parto e amamentação praticada são fortes aliados nessa ocorrência, sem esquecer-se das questões culturais e sociais, fortemente presentes na sociedade guineense e que influenciam na não efetivação do programa em reduzir a taxa de transmissão vertical e da disseminação do vírus HIV no país / Introduction: With the emergence of the AIDS epidemic in the decade of the eighties. Around the world, there are several challenges faced by society due to its rapid dissemination in global scale. The epidemic affects approximately 34 million people around the world, according to UNAIDS, the largest portion is observed in third world. The African continent with over 800 million inhabitants, which contains 54 countries, is what most has suffered the impact of the disease presenting the largest portion of HIV patients in the world, with about 23.5 million infected registered. As globally, the concern that has sparked debates is the increasing feminization of the virus in Guinea - Bissau, the country which consequently increased rates of vertical transmission of HIV, which according to recent projections, the risk is estimated at 8.9 percent (PEN III,2012). The advent of antiretroviral (zidovudine) in 1994, from the publication of 076 protocol of the ACTG come to change the scenario of vertical transmission. In Guinea-Bissau, the arrival of antiretrovirals in 2006, marked a new phase in the fight against the spread of the vírus particularly in the context of vertical transmission, providing more life quality and chances of a child born without AIDS. The NGO Associação Céu e Terras acts in the country since 2001, and in 2007 adopted the protocol recommended by WHO with triple therapy and exclusive breastfeeding, in order to reduce vertical transmission in the country. Objective - Analyze the performance of the NGO Associação Céu e Terras as the prevention of vertical HIV transmission in the context of Guinea-Bissau. Examine the proposal from the introduction of the new protocol of triple antiretroviral therapy, exclusive breastfeeding, 2007 2011. Method - It is a descriptive study of secondary data from mothers and their children whose women enrolled in the period July 2007 to June 2011 the institution (NGO) Associação Céu e Terras in Bissau, Republic of Guinea-Bissau program. The population studied was composed of 430 HIV-positive women and 417 children born of those mothers who participated in the program to prevent vertical transmission in NGOs. To analyze the occurrence of vertical transmission in this population were analyzed mainly the social, cultural, the adherence to therapy, the type of breastfeeding practiced and route of delivery. For data analysis, we used the SPSS 18.0 program. Result - among 430 pregnant there were 7 cases of maternal deaths and 417 children were born alive, among these, 347 children were tested at final follow up, 328 resulted HIV negative and 19 HIV positive, meaning, the transmission vertical occurred. Of the live births, 11 of them died before reaching 18 months and 13 have died after 18 months of life. It is important to report that 13 cases of fetal death. Conclusions - Among this population during that period, the rate of vertical transmission was 4.6 percent. Amount which well below the estimated by the government. The analysis made for the study period showed a decrease in vertical transmission, have suggested a slight decreasing trend during the semesters studied, but no difference between them. It was also observed failure in adherence to antiretroviral therapy being the main cause of this occurrence in the transmission, on the other hand, the mode of delivery and breastfeeding practiced are strong allies in this occurrence, without forgetting the cultural and social issues strongly present in Guinean society that influence the effectiveness of the program in not further reduce the rate of vertical transmission and spread of HIV in the country

This study examined the role of the Anglican Church in the prevention of the spread of HIV and AIDS in the Limpopo Province, South Africa, using a random sample of 51 members of the Zoutpansberg parish. The study found that the Church currently contributes to the prevention of the spread of HIV among its congregation through HIV-related activities to reduce stigma, prejudice and discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA). At the same time, however, much still needs to be done in the areas of cultural perception, sexual practices, and myths surrounding HIV and AIDS. Most of the respondents indicated that they would like to see the Church play an active role in voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), marital counselling, and encouraging openness with regard to HIV and AIDS. It is recommended that the Church should extend its activities to include members of the community outside the congregation in the prevention of the spread of HIV and AIDS. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Quantitative, descriptive research, using self-completion questionnaires, was conducted to determine the level of HIV/AIDS knowledge of the learners in Sefhare. The sample, comprising 92 learners, was selected from forms 1-3. Of the learners, 53.4% knew what HIV/AIDS stand for, but only 13.6% said AIDS is caused by HIV and only 4.5% said AIDS is an incurable disease. The ABC of protecting oneself against HIV (abstain from sex, be faithful to one sex partner, use condoms) was mentioned by merely 57.6% of the learners. The learners’ lack of knowledge should be addressed by school HIV/AIDS programmes offered at schools in Botswana. As 81.5% of the learners were willing to be tested for HIV, this service should be made available with simultaneous confidential personal HIV/AIDS education, irrespective of the HIV test results. Teachers’ and parents’ HIV/AIDS knowledge should also be updated regularly. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

This study examined the role of the Anglican Church in the prevention of the spread of HIV and AIDS in the Limpopo Province, South Africa, using a random sample of 51 members of the Zoutpansberg parish. The study found that the Church currently contributes to the prevention of the spread of HIV among its congregation through HIV-related activities to reduce stigma, prejudice and discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA). At the same time, however, much still needs to be done in the areas of cultural perception, sexual practices, and myths surrounding HIV and AIDS. Most of the respondents indicated that they would like to see the Church play an active role in voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), marital counselling, and encouraging openness with regard to HIV and AIDS. It is recommended that the Church should extend its activities to include members of the community outside the congregation in the prevention of the spread of HIV and AIDS. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Quantitative, descriptive research, using self-completion questionnaires, was conducted to determine the level of HIV/AIDS knowledge of the learners in Sefhare. The sample, comprising 92 learners, was selected from forms 1-3. Of the learners, 53.4% knew what HIV/AIDS stand for, but only 13.6% said AIDS is caused by HIV and only 4.5% said AIDS is an incurable disease. The ABC of protecting oneself against HIV (abstain from sex, be faithful to one sex partner, use condoms) was mentioned by merely 57.6% of the learners. The learners’ lack of knowledge should be addressed by school HIV/AIDS programmes offered at schools in Botswana. As 81.5% of the learners were willing to be tested for HIV, this service should be made available with simultaneous confidential personal HIV/AIDS education, irrespective of the HIV test results. Teachers’ and parents’ HIV/AIDS knowledge should also be updated regularly. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

In the San Bernardino City Unified School District, Positive Prevention: HIV/STD Prevention Education for California Schools Grades 7-12, Second Edition (Positive Prevention) by Clark & Ridley (2000) is used as the curriculum for ninth grade. In evaluating the curriculum, it is of key importance to first determine if this curriculum is being taught as it was designed, or with fidelity. Fidelity is affected by the comfort, confidence, competence and commitment of the personnel presenting the curriculum.