Community Stakeholders’ Perceptions of the Role of Family in HIV Prevention in Iringa, Tanzania

Eustace, Rosemary W.; Wilson, Josephine F.; Asiedu, Gladys B.; Nyamhanga, Tumaini; Mkanta, William N.

doi:10.1080/07370016.2017.1260981

“…There were increased HIV knowledge levels following short educational sessions. Eustace, et al [22] 34 stakeholders. There is a need to understand the family role for HIV/AIDS education in the community and for health providers.…”

Section: Hiv Knowledge and Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the key aspects about the quality of HIV care in Tanzania relates directly to the authority of nurses to educate patients and relate to them on a personal level [21]. The family structure has also been shown to play a major role in the overall ability of health care providers and nurses to understand the dynamics of patients living with HIV/AIDS and to improve HIV education and communication [22]. Cultural norms regarding the authority of primary health care providers, the mechanisms of disseminating HIV-related information, and the framework surrounding community involvement and support of HIV educational programs should be thoroughly assessed when collaborations are established for HIV program implementation.…”

Section: Sociocultural Context For Program Implementationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stigma Related to Fear and Shame Restricts Access to HIV Testing and Treatment in Tanzania

A¹,

L²,

S³

2019

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Background: Tanzania is one of 15 nations that share 75% of the HIV burden in sub-Saharan Africa, with a national prevalence of 5.3% and prevalence rates as high as 30% in special populations. Knowledge about HIV infection, testing, and treatment is low, especially in younger populations, suggesting a need for effective HIV educational programs. We sought to understand the impact of HIV-related stigma and gender roles in HIV education and knowledge in educational programs and explored methodologies that effectively incorporate culturally competent approaches to reduce stigma in HIV education programs.Methods: Literature searches were conducted in multiple databases including the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Academic Search Complete, and the U.S. National Library of Medicine through the National Institutes of Health (Medline/PubMed). The search terms were structured to include all text of each article rather than restricting the search to titles or keywords. While these search criteria resulted in identification of 45 peer-reviewed articles, the inclusion criteria (HIV prevention, community education, HIV knowledge and stigma) led to the exclusion of all except 20 articles. Their findings are described here.Results: Attitudes of blame, fear of people on antiretroviral therapy spreading the disease, and an acceptance of a positive HIV status as punishment for sin were identified as barriers to testing. Cultural norms/perceptions and gender power dynamics were key components in creating culturally competent models that empower women to be tested and disclose their status. Community-level awareness and increased opportunities to interact with people living with HIV/AIDS were used successfully to reduce stigma among younger populations.Conclusions: Community-based programs partnered with religious organizations were effective in disseminating HIV education and can be used as a strategy for reducing shame-based stigma based upon misconceptions and popular beliefs. Stigma can also be reduced by increasing HIV knowledge with an appropriate sociocultural framework. We propose targeting community and religious leaders using train-the-trainer models as a means to improve HIV education and reduce stigma, especially within high-risk populations.

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“…There were increased HIV knowledge levels following short educational sessions. Eustace, et al [22] 34 stakeholders. There is a need to understand the family role for HIV/AIDS education in the community and for health providers.…”

Section: Hiv Knowledge and Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the key aspects about the quality of HIV care in Tanzania relates directly to the authority of nurses to educate patients and relate to them on a personal level [21]. The family structure has also been shown to play a major role in the overall ability of health care providers and nurses to understand the dynamics of patients living with HIV/AIDS and to improve HIV education and communication [22]. Cultural norms regarding the authority of primary health care providers, the mechanisms of disseminating HIV-related information, and the framework surrounding community involvement and support of HIV educational programs should be thoroughly assessed when collaborations are established for HIV program implementation.…”

Section: Sociocultural Context For Program Implementationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untitled

2019

J Fam Med Dis Prev

0

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Background: Tanzania is one of 15 nations that share 75% of the HIV burden in sub-Saharan Africa, with a national prevalence of 5.3% and prevalence rates as high as 30% in special populations. Knowledge about HIV infection, testing, and treatment is low, especially in younger populations, suggesting a need for effective HIV educational programs. We sought to understand the impact of HIV-related stigma and gender roles in HIV education and knowledge in educational programs and explored methodologies that effectively incorporate culturally competent approaches to reduce stigma in HIV education programs.Methods: Literature searches were conducted in multiple databases including the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Academic Search Complete, and the U.S. National Library of Medicine through the National Institutes of Health (Medline/PubMed). The search terms were structured to include all text of each article rather than restricting the search to titles or keywords. While these search criteria resulted in identification of 45 peer-reviewed articles, the inclusion criteria (HIV prevention, community education, HIV knowledge and stigma) led to the exclusion of all except 20 articles. Their findings are described here.Results: Attitudes of blame, fear of people on antiretroviral therapy spreading the disease, and an acceptance of a positive HIV status as punishment for sin were identified as barriers to testing. Cultural norms/perceptions and gender power dynamics were key components in creating culturally competent models that empower women to be tested and disclose their status. Community-level awareness and increased opportunities to interact with people living with HIV/AIDS were used successfully to reduce stigma among younger populations.Conclusions: Community-based programs partnered with religious organizations were effective in disseminating HIV education and can be used as a strategy for reducing shame-based stigma based upon misconceptions and popular beliefs. Stigma can also be reduced by increasing HIV knowledge with an appropriate sociocultural framework. We propose targeting community and religious leaders using train-the-trainer models as a means to improve HIV education and reduce stigma, especially within high-risk populations.

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