1
|
David IJ, Schatz E, Angotti N, Myroniuk TW, Mojola SA. "I'm Getting Life from the Treatment": Perceptions of Life and Death Among Middle-Aged and Older Medication-Adherent Persons Living with HIV in Rural South Africa. J Aging Soc Policy 2023:1-23. [PMID: 36973857 DOI: 10.1080/08959420.2023.2195348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
The widespread availability of health information and treatment for HIV in Southern Africa does not reach all populations. Few programs and materials are developed with middle-aged and older rural individuals living with HIV as the target audience, despite this being a growing population. This vacuum inevitably exacerbates the disjuncture between clinical and experiential knowledge. This study uses in-depth interviews from 2018 with middle-aged and older rural South Africans who self-report medication adherence to ART in order to explore experiences of living with HIV and beliefs about anti-retroviral treatment (ART). Participants revealed a general sense of vulnerability as a major motivation for HIV medication adherence. A majority of the participants believed that death was imminent if they defaulted on ART at any point in time. Although the availability of ART brought hope to many, HIV was still perceived as a death sentence, particularly if ART adherence was imperfect. The study findings suggest a need to examine the psychosocial component of community programs for middle-aged and older people living with HIV. For this growing population that experienced the full course of the epidemic, more research is needed on the burden of psychological and mental health issues emerging from the need for long-term HIV medication adherence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ifeolu J David
- Department of public health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Enid Schatz
- Department of public health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nicole Angotti
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of sociology, American University, Washington DC, USA
| | - Tyler W Myroniuk
- Department of public health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Sanyu A Mojola
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of sociology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Denardo D, Mojola SA, Schatz E, Gómez-Olivé FX. Antiretroviral therapy and aging as resources for managing and resisting HIV-related stigma in rural South Africa. SSM. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN HEALTH 2022; 2:100148. [PMID: 36687383 PMCID: PMC9851406 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2022.100148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The widespread roll-out of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Africa has contributed to a large population of adults aging with HIV. However, little is known about how HIV-related stigma interacts with aging in the ART era. This study uses in-depth interviews with middle-aged and older South Africans living with HIV to explore stigma-related experiences and response strategies. Participants describe a persistence of stigma which requires the deployment of a range of common and age-based stigma management and resistance strategies. We find that participants minimize their exposure to stigma through selective disclosure of their HIV status; neutralize HIV-related stigma through comparisons to chronic illnesses common among older adults, and deflect stigma through asserting an ART-adherent identity and othering younger non-adherent adults. Overall, our study highlights the roles of ART and aging as resources for managing and resisting HIV-related stigma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Denardo
- Social and Behavioral Sciences, Soka University of America, Aliso Viejo, CA, USA,Corresponding author.. 1.949.480.4216, 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, CA, 92656, USA, (D. Denardo)
| | - Sanyu A. Mojola
- Department of Sociology, School of Public and International Affairs, Office of Population Research, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA,MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
| | - Enid Schatz
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa,Department of Public Health and Department of Women’s & Gender Studies, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - F. Xavier Gómez-Olivé
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Benner BE. HIV Vulnerability Among Survival Sex Workers Through Sexual Violence and Drug Taking in a Qualitative Study From Victoria, Canada, With Additional Implications for Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for Sex Workers. FRONTIERS IN SOCIOLOGY 2022; 6:714208. [PMID: 35047587 PMCID: PMC8762116 DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2021.714208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Objective: This qualitative study investigates how social and structural forces mediate vulnerability to HIV infection and transmission among survival sex workers, their clients, and their non-commercial, intimate partners-with especial focus on sexual violence and drug taking. Method: I employed an adapted grounded theory approach to conducting and analyzing (n = 9) open-ended, in-depth interviews with a convenience sample of currently working (and recently exited) survival sex workers from a community setting in Victoria, Canada. Findings: Participants revealed important contexts and conditions under which they were vulnerable to HIV infection. At the behavioural level, participants were aware of how HIV could be transmitted (condomless sex and sharing drug equipment), yet participants voiced strongly how structural and systemic features (for instance, client violence, the need for drugs, and "bad date" referrals) could squeeze and constrain their agency to take up safer practices, mediating their optimal HIV health and safety. Some participants reported strained relationships with police because of previous drug involvement. Conclusion: Survival sex workers constitute a health population vulnerable to HIV infection, and ensuring there could be a supportive (outreach) community replete with HIV resources is paramount. The availability of safer sex and drug equipment play important roles in HIV behavioural prevention efforts. However, uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) at no cost in the Canadian province of British Columbia could be an important and beneficial structural intervention for non-injection drug taking cis-female sex workers in this study who are presently ineligible for no cost PrEP.
Collapse
|
4
|
Mojola SA, Angotti N, Denardo D, Schatz E, Olivé FXG. The end of AIDS? HIV and the new landscape of illness in rural South Africa. Glob Public Health 2022; 17:13-25. [PMID: 33290168 PMCID: PMC8184878 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2020.1851743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The global HIV/AIDS scientific community has begun to hail the dawn of 'the End of AIDS' with widespread anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and dramatic declines in AIDS-related mortality. Drawing on community focus groups and in-depth individual interviews conducted in rural South Africa, we examine the complex unfolding of the end of AIDS in a hard-hit setting. We find that while widespread ART has led to declines in AIDS-related deaths, stigma persists and is now freshly motivated. We argue that the shifting landscape of illness in the community has produced a new interpretive lens through which to view living with HIV and dying from AIDS. Most adults have one or more chronic illnesses, and ART-managed HIV is now considered a preferred diagnosis because it is seen as easier to manage, more responsive to medication, and less dangerous compared to diseases like cancer, hypertension, and diabetes. Viewed through this comparative lens, dying from AIDS elicits stigmatising individual blame. We find that blame persists despite community acknowledgement of structural barriers to ART adherence. Setting the ending of AIDS within its wider health context sheds light on the complexities of the epidemiological and health transitions underway in much of the developing world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanyu A. Mojola
- Department of Sociology, School of Public and International Affairs, and the Office of Population Research, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Nicole Angotti
- Department of Sociology and Center on Health, Risk and Society, American University, Washington D.C. and MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
| | - Danielle Denardo
- Social and Behavioral Sciences, Soka University of America, Aliso Viejo, CA
| | - Enid Schatz
- Department of Public Health and Department of Women’s & Gender Studies, University of Missouri and MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
| | - F. Xavier Gómez Olivé
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mojola SA, Angotti N, Schatz E, Houle B. "A NOWADAYS DISEASE": HIV/AIDS AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN A RURAL SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNITY. AJS; AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY 2021; 127:950-1000. [PMID: 35967824 PMCID: PMC9365075 DOI: 10.1086/718234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Why do some people adapt successfully to change while others do not? We examine this question in the context of a severe HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa, where adapting (or not) to social change has borne life and death consequences. Applying an age-period-cohort lens to the analysis of qualitative life history interviews among middle-aged and older adults, we consider the role of the life course and gendered sexuality in informing Africans' strategies of action, or inaction, and in differentially driving and stalling change in each cohort in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Our study illuminates the unique challenges of adapting to social change that result from dynamic interactions among aging, prevailing social structures, and a cohort's socio-historical orientation to a new period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanyu A Mojola
- Princeton University and MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nicole Angotti
- American University and MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Enid Schatz
- University of Missouri Columbia and MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Brian Houle
- The Australian National University and MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhou A. Limits of neoliberalism: HIV, COVID-19, and the importance of healthcare systems in Malawi. Glob Public Health 2021; 16:1346-1363. [PMID: 34148531 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2021.1940237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Countries in sub-Saharan Africa have been seriously affected by HIV and now face a new pandemic - COVID-19. How have prior experiences with managing HIV prepared countries for COVID-19? To what extent has the structure of the global health field enabled or constrained countries' ability to respond? Drawing on qualitative methods, this article examines the impact of HIV interventions on the healthcare system in Malawi and its implications for addressing COVID-19. I argue that the historical and continued influence of neoliberalism in global health manifests in the structures and routines of clinical practice. In Malawi's health centres, a parallel NGO system of care has become grafted onto state healthcare, with NGOs managing HIV commodities and providing care to HIV patients. While HIV NGOs do support the work of government providers, it is limited to tasks that align with their programmatic goals. Outside of donor priorities, the conditions of public healthcare are left behind, and government providers struggle with shortages of staff, medical resources, and basic infrastructure. In the context of COVID-19, risks are compounded as public healthcare facilities not only struggle with resources to treat patients, but also become a site of risk itself for COVID-19 infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy Zhou
- Department of Sociology, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Schatz E, David I, Angotti N, Gómez-Olivé FX, Mojola SA. From "Secret" to "Sensitive Issue": Shifting Ideas About HIV Disclosure Among Middle-Aged and Older Rural South Africans in the Era of Antiretroviral Treatment. J Aging Health 2021; 34:14-24. [PMID: 34027688 DOI: 10.1177/08982643211020202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE As HIV shifts from "death sentence" to "chronic condition," disclosure of HIV status to intimate partners and family is a significant component of both prevention and treatment adherence. While disclosure is closely considered in many studies, few examine middle-aged and older persons' (age 40+) perspectives or practices. We trace older rural South Africans' views on HIV disclosure to their partners and family members in a high prevalence community over a period of extensive antiretroviral treatment (ART) rollout. METHODS Community focus group discussions (FGD) conducted in 2013 and 2018 show shifts in older persons' thinking about HIV disclosure. FINDINGS Our FGD participants saw fewer negative consequences of disclosure in 2018 than in 2013, and highlighted positive outcomes including building trust (partners) as well as greater support for medication collection and adherence (family). DISCUSSION Particularly as the epidemic ages in South Africa and globally, tracing changes in older persons' views on disclosure is an important step in developing messaging that could enhance treatment as prevention and ART adherence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enid Schatz
- University of Missouri14716, Columbia, MO, USA.,37708MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Nicole Angotti
- 37708MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,8363American University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - F Xavier Gómez-Olivé
- 37708MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sanyu A Mojola
- 37708MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,6740Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Dovel K, Phiri K, Mphande M, Mindry D, Sanudi E, Bellos M, Hoffman RM. Optimizing Test and Treat in Malawi: health care worker perspectives on barriers and facilitators to ART initiation among HIV-infected clients who feel healthy. Glob Health Action 2020; 13:1728830. [PMID: 32098595 PMCID: PMC7054923 DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2020.1728830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Test and Treat has been widely adopted throughout sub-Saharan Africa, whereby all HIV-positive individuals initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately upon diagnosis and continue for life. However, clients who feel healthy may delay ART initiation, despite being eligible under new treatment guidelines. Objective: We examined health care worker (HCW) perceptions and experiences on how feeling healthy positively or negatively influences treatment initiation among HIV-positive clients in Malawi. Methods: We conducted 12 focus group discussions with 101 HCWs across six health facilities in Central Malawi. Data were analyzed through constant comparison methods using Atlas.ti7.5. Results: Feeling healthy influences perceptions of ART initiation among HIV-positive clients. HCWs described that healthy clients feel that there are few tangible benefits to immediate ART initiation, but numerous risks. Fear of stigma and unwanted disclosure, disruption of daily activities, fear of side effects, and limited knowledge about the benefits of early initiation were perceived by HCWs to deter healthy clients from initiating ART. Conclusion: Feeling healthy may exacerbate barriers to ART initiation. Strategies to reach healthy clients are needed, such as chronic care models, differentiated models of care that minimize disruptions to daily activities, and community sensitization on the benefits of early initiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Dovel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Partners in Hope Medical Centre, EQUIP Innovations for Health, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Khumbo Phiri
- Partners in Hope Medical Centre, EQUIP Innovations for Health, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Misheck Mphande
- Partners in Hope Medical Centre, EQUIP Innovations for Health, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Deborah Mindry
- UC Global Health Institute, Center for Women's Health Gender and Empowerment, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Esnart Sanudi
- Partners in Hope Medical Centre, EQUIP Innovations for Health, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Mcdaphton Bellos
- Partners in Hope Medical Centre, EQUIP Innovations for Health, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Risa M Hoffman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Dovel K, Dworkin SL, Cornell M, Coates TJ, Yeatman S. Gendered health institutions: examining the organization of health services and men's use of HIV testing in Malawi. J Int AIDS Soc 2020; 23 Suppl 2:e25517. [PMID: 32589346 PMCID: PMC7319160 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Men in sub-Saharan Africa are less likely to use HIV testing services than their female counterparts. Norms of masculinity are frequently cited as the main barrier to men's use of HIV testing services, but very little is known about how health institutions are organized to facilitate or impede men's care. We examined the organization of health institutions in Malawi, and implications for men's use of HIV testing services. METHODS A mixed methods ethnography was conducted in Malawi between October 2013 and September 2014. National Ministry of Health guidelines from 2012 to 2014 were analysed, counting the frequency of recommended preventative services by sex. In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 healthcare workers and 11 national key informants (29 total). Five rural health facilities participated in direct observation and 52 observational journals were completed to document the structure and implementation of HIV services within local facilities. All data were analysed using the theory of gendered organization. Findings were grouped into one of the three theoretical levels of organization: (1) organizational policy; (2) organizational practice; and (3) structure of gendered expectations. RESULTS Health institutions were gendered across three levels. Organizational policy: National guidelines omitted young and adult men's health during reproductive years (176-433 recommended visits for women vs. 32 visits for men). Health education strategies focused on reproductive and child health services, with little education strategies targeting men. Organizational practice: HIV testing was primarily offered during reproductive and child health services and located near female-focused departments within health facilities. As these departments were women's spaces, others could easily tell that men were using HIV services. Structure of gendered expectations: Clients who successfully accessed HIV testing services were perceived as exemplifying characteristics that were traditionally considered feminine: compliance (obeying instructions without explanation); deference (respecting providers regardless of provider behaviour); and patience ("waiting like a woman"). CONCLUSIONS Health institutions in Malawi were organized in ways that created substantial, multilevel barriers to men's HIV testing and reinforced perceptions of absent, difficult men. Future research should prioritize a gendered organization framework to understand and address the complex realities of men's constrained access to HIV services.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Dovel
- Division of Infectious DiseasesDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCAUSA
- Partners in HopeLilongweAngelesMalawi
| | - Shari L Dworkin
- School of Nursing and Health StudiesUniversity of Washington BothellBothellWAUSA
| | - Morna Cornell
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology & ResearchSchool of Public Health & Family MedicineUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Thomas J. Coates
- Division of Infectious DiseasesDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Sara Yeatman
- Department of Health and Behavioral SciencesUniversity of Colorado DenverDenverCOUSA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Freeman EE, Busakhala N, Regan S, Asirwa FC, Wenger M, Seth D, Moon KC, Semeere A, Maurer T, Wools-Kaloustian K, Bassett I, Martin J. Real-world use of chemotherapy for Kaposi's sarcoma in a large community-based HIV primary care system in Kenya. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:71. [PMID: 31996161 PMCID: PMC6990575 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-019-6506-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is one of the most common HIV-associated malignancies in sub-Saharan Africa. Worldwide, the availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has improved KS survival. In resource-rich settings, survival has also benefited from chemotherapy, which is widely available. Little is known, however, about the epidemiology of chemotherapy use for HIV-associated KS in resource-limited regions such as sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS We identified all patients newly diagnosed with HIV-related KS from 2009 to 2012 in the 26-clinic AMPATH network, a large community-based care network in Kenya. We ascertained disease severity at diagnosis, frequency of initiation of chemotherapy, and distribution of chemotherapeutic regimens used. Indications for chemotherapy included AIDS Clinical Trial Group T1 stage and/or "severe" disease defined by WHO KS treatment guidelines. RESULTS Of 674 patients diagnosed with KS, charts were available for 588; 61% were men, median age was 35 years, and median CD4 at KS diagnosis was 185 cells/μl. At time of diagnosis, 58% had at least one chemotherapy indication, and 22% had more than one indication. For patients with a chemotherapy indication, cumulative incidence of chemotherapy initiation (with death as a competing event) was 37% by 1 month and 56% by 1 year. Median time from diagnosis to chemotherapy initiation was 25 days (IQR 1-50 days). In multivariable regression, patients with > 3 chemotherapy indications at time of diagnosis had a 2.30 (95% CI 1.46-3.60) increased risk of rapid chemotherapy initiation (within 30 days of diagnosis) compared to those with only one chemotherapy indication (p < 0.001). Initial regimens were bleomycin-vincristine (78%), adriamycin-bleomycin-vincristine (11%), etoposide (7%), and gemcitabine (4%). CONCLUSIONS A substantial fraction of patients with KS in East Africa are diagnosed at advanced disease stage. For patients with chemotherapy indications, nearly half did not receive chemotherapy by one year. Liposomal anthracyclines, often used in resource-rich settings, were not first line. These findings emphasize challenges in East Africa cancer care, and highlight the need for further advocacy for improved access to higher quality chemotherapy in this setting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esther E Freeman
- Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Bartlett Hall 6R, 55 Fruit Street, Boston MA, MA, 02114, USA.
| | | | - Susan Regan
- Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Bartlett Hall 6R, 55 Fruit Street, Boston MA, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Fredrick Chite Asirwa
- AMPATH, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
- Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | | | - Divya Seth
- Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Bartlett Hall 6R, 55 Fruit Street, Boston MA, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Khatiya Chelidze Moon
- Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Bartlett Hall 6R, 55 Fruit Street, Boston MA, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Aggrey Semeere
- University of California, San Francisco, USA
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Toby Maurer
- University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | | | - Ingrid Bassett
- Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Bartlett Hall 6R, 55 Fruit Street, Boston MA, MA, 02114, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Sileo KM, Bogart LM, Wagner GJ, Musoke W, Naigino R, Mukasa B, Wanyenze RK. HIV fatalism and engagement in transactional sex among Ugandan fisherfolk living with HIV. SAHARA J 2019; 16:1-9. [PMID: 30727838 PMCID: PMC6366790 DOI: 10.1080/17290376.2019.1572533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV fatalism, or the belief that HIV acquisition and mortality is out of one's control, is thought to contribute to HIV risk in fishing populations in East Africa. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between fatalism and sexual risk behaviours (unprotected sex, engagement in transactional sex), beyond the influence of other known HIV risk factors (e.g. food insecurity, mobility), and identify demographic, psychosocial, and structural correlates of HIV fatalism. Ninety-one men and women living in fishing villages on two islands in Lake Victoria, Uganda completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire after testing HIV-positive during home or community-based HIV testing between May and July 2015. Multivariate logistic regression was used to test the association between HIV fatalism and transactional sex and multivariate linear regression was used to identify demographic, psychosocial, and structural correlates of HIV fatalism. HIV fatalism was significantly associated with a greater likelihood of transactional sex (AOR = 3.07, 95% CI = 1.02-9.23, p = 0.04), and structural barriers to HIV care (e.g. distance to clinic) were significantly associated with HIV fatalism (β = 0.26, SE = 0.12, p = 0.04). Our findings highlight HIV fatalism as a contributor to transactional sex in Ugandan fishing communities, and as a product of broader social and contextual factors, suggesting the potential need for structural HIV interventions in this setting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn M. Sileo
- Division of Global Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Laura M. Bogart
- RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USA
- Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Rose Naigino
- Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Rhoda K. Wanyenze
- Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Magaço A, Dovel K, Cataldo F, Nhassengo P, Hoffman R, Nerua L, Tique J, Saide M, Couto A, Mbofana F, Gudo E, Cuco RM, Chicumbe S. 'Good health' as a barrier and facilitator to ART initiation: a qualitative study in the era of test-and-treat in Mozambique. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2019; 21:1059-1073. [PMID: 30636559 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2018.1535091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
HIV test-and-treat programmes are being implemented throughout sub-Saharan Africa, enrolling HIV-positive clients into antiretroviral treatment (ART) immediately after diagnosis, regardless of clinical stage or CD4 count. This study conducted in Mozambique examined what influenced clients who tested HIV-positive in the context of test-and-treat to make ART initiation decisions. Eighty in-depth interviews with HIV-positive clients and nine focus group discussions with health care workers were completed across 10 health facilities. 'Good health' acted simultaneously as a barrier and facilitator; clients in good health often found a positive HIV diagnosis hard to cope with since HIV was traditionally associated with ill health. Concerns about ART side effects, fear of inadvertent HIV status disclosure and discrimination, limited privacy at health facilities and long waiting times were also barriers to initiation. In contrast, being in good health also acted as a motivator to start treatment so as to remain healthy, maintain responsibilities such as work and caring for dependents and avoid unwanted disclosure. Study findings offer an in-depth understanding of the complex dynamics between individual perceptions of 'being healthy' and its influence on ART initiation within the context of test-and-treat programme implementation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amílcar Magaço
- a Research Department , National Institute of Health , Maputo , Mozambique
| | - Kathryn Dovel
- b Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine , University of California , Los Angeles , CA , USA
- c Research Department , Partners in Hope , Lilongwe , Malawi
| | - Fabian Cataldo
- d Institute for Global Health and Development , Queen Margaret University , Edinburgh , UK
| | - Pedroso Nhassengo
- a Research Department , National Institute of Health , Maputo , Mozambique
| | - Risa Hoffman
- b Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine , University of California , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| | - Lucas Nerua
- a Research Department , National Institute of Health , Maputo , Mozambique
| | - José Tique
- e National STI, HIV/AIDS Control Program , Maputo , Mozambique
| | - Mohomed Saide
- a Research Department , National Institute of Health , Maputo , Mozambique
| | - Aleny Couto
- e National STI, HIV/AIDS Control Program , Maputo , Mozambique
| | | | - Eduardo Gudo
- a Research Department , National Institute of Health , Maputo , Mozambique
| | | | - Sérgio Chicumbe
- a Research Department , National Institute of Health , Maputo , Mozambique
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Evaluating the integration of HIV self-testing into low-resource health systems: study protocol for a cluster-randomized control trial from EQUIP Innovations. Trials 2018; 19:498. [PMID: 30223874 PMCID: PMC6142354 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-018-2878-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Throughout sub-Saharan Africa HIV-testing rates remain low. Barriers to testing, such as inconvenient service hours and long wait times, lack of privacy, and fear of unwanted disclosure, continue to impede service utilization. HIV self-testing (HIVST) is one strategy that addresses these barriers and has been shown to increase use of HIV-testing when distributed through community-based settings. However, the scalability of HIVST is limited because it has yet to be fully integrated into existing health systems and routine care. To address this gap, we designed a study to test the effect of offering HIVST to routine outpatient department (OPD) clients on uptake of HIV-testing as compared to standard of care and optimized standard of care. METHODS/DESIGN This is a non-blinded, multi-site, cluster-randomized control trial. The health facility is the unit of randomization (cluster). Fifteen facilities were randomized to one of three arms: (1) Standard of care using routine provider-initiated testing and counseling (PITC); (2) Optimized standard of care using optimized PITC defined by additional training, job aids, and monitoring of PITC strategies with OPD providers and support staff; and (3) HIVST defined by HIVST demonstrations for OPD clients, HIVST kit distribution, and private spaces for HIVST kit use and/or interpretation. The primary outcome is the proportion of OPD clients tested for HIV on the day that they accessed OPD services. Secondary outcome measures are the proportion of OPD clients newly identified as HIV-positive and antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. Costs and cost-effectiveness will be evaluated. Nested studies will determine the acceptability of facility-based HIVST among OPD clients and health care providers, the presence of adverse events, such as coercion to test or unwanted status disclosure, and a process evaluation to determine feasibility and scale-up of facility-based HIVST for the future. DISCUSSION This study protocol tests whether facility-based HIVST can positively contribute to HIV-testing among OPD clients in resource-limited settings. This will be one of the first studies to test the integration of HIVST into facility-based, primary health services in sub-Saharan Africa. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT03271307 . Registered on 31 August 2017. Pan African Clinical Trials: PACTR201711002697316 . Registered on 1 November 2017.
Collapse
|
14
|
A mixed-methods framework for analyzing text data: Integrating computational techniques with qualitative methods in demography. DEMOGRAPHIC RESEARCH 2017. [DOI: 10.4054/demres.2017.37.42] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
|
15
|
"They are looking just the same": Antiretroviral treatment as social danger in rural Malawi. Soc Sci Med 2016; 167:71-8. [PMID: 27608050 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Revised: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Research on the social impact of ART pivots on questions of individual adherence and community acceptability of treatment programmes. In this paper we examine unexpected and unintended consequences of the scale-up of treatment in rural Malawi, using a unique dataset of more than 150 observational journals from three sites, spanning 2010 to 2013, focusing on men's everyday conversations. Through thematic content analysis, we explore the emerging perception that the widespread availability of ART constitutes a form of social danger, as treatment makes it difficult to tell who does or does not have AIDS. This ambiguity introduced through ART is interpreted as putting individuals at risk, because it is no longer possible to tell who might be infected - indeed, the sick now look healthier and "plumper" than the well. This ambivalence over the social impact of ART co-exists with individual demand for and appreciation of the benefits of treatment.
Collapse
|
16
|
Mclean EM, Chihana M, Mzembe T, Koole O, Kachiwanda L, Glynn JR, Zaba B, Nyirenda M, Crampin AC. Reliability of reporting of HIV status and antiretroviral therapy usage during verbal autopsies: a large prospective study in rural Malawi. Glob Health Action 2016; 9:31084. [PMID: 27293122 PMCID: PMC4904066 DOI: 10.3402/gha.v9.31084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Revised: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Verbal autopsies (VAs) are interviews with a relative or friend of the deceased; VAs are a technique used in surveillance sites in many countries with incomplete death certification. The goal of this study was to assess the accuracy and validity of data on HIV status and antiretroviral therapy (ART) usage reported in VAs and their influence on physician attribution of cause of death. Design This was a prospective cohort study. Methods The Karonga Health and Demographic Surveillance Site monitors demographic events in a population in a rural area of northern Malawi; a VA is attempted on all deaths reported. VAs are reviewed by clinicians, who, with additional HIV test information collected pre-mortem, assign a cause of death. We linked HIV/ART information reported by respondents during adult VAs to database information on HIV testing and ART use and analysed agreement using chi-square and kappa statistics. We used multivariable logistic regression to analyse factors associated with agreement. Results From 2003 to 2014, out of a total of 1,952 VAs, 80% of respondents reported the HIV status of the deceased. In 2013–2014, this figure was 99%. Of those with an HIV status known to the study, there was 89% agreement on HIV status between the VA and pre-mortem data, higher for HIV-negative people (92%) than HIV-positive people (83%). There was 84% agreement on whether the deceased had started ART, and 72% of ART initiation dates matched within 1 year. Conclusions In this population, HIV/ART information was often disclosed during a VA and matched well with other data sources. Reported HIV/ART status appears to be a reliable source of information to help classification of cause of death.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Estelle M Mclean
- Karonga Prevention Study, Chilumba, Karonga, Malawi.,Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK;
| | | | | | - Olivier Koole
- Karonga Prevention Study, Chilumba, Karonga, Malawi.,Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Judith R Glynn
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Basia Zaba
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Moffat Nyirenda
- Karonga Prevention Study, Chilumba, Karonga, Malawi.,Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Amelia C Crampin
- Karonga Prevention Study, Chilumba, Karonga, Malawi.,Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Kaler A, Watkins SC, Angotti N. Making meaning in the time of AIDS: longitudinal narratives from the Malawi Journals Project. AJAR-AFRICAN JOURNAL OF AIDS RESEARCH 2015. [DOI: 10.2989/16085906.2015.1084342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
18
|
Baranov V, Bennett D, Kohler HP. The indirect impact of antiretroviral therapy: Mortality risk, mental health, and HIV-negative labor supply. JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS 2015; 44:195-211. [PMID: 26516983 PMCID: PMC4688176 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2015.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
To reduce the burden of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, international donors recently began providing free antiretroviral therapy (ART) in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. ART dramatically prolongs life and reduces infectiousness for people with HIV. This paper shows that ART availability increases work time for HIV-negative people without caretaker obligations, who do not directly benefit from the medicine. A difference-in-difference design compares people living near and far from ART, before and after treatment becomes available. Next we explore the possible reasons for this pattern. Although we cannot pinpoint the mechanism, we find that ART availability substantially reduces subjective mortality risk and improves mental health. These results show an undocumented economic consequence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and an important externality of medical innovation. They also provide the first evidence of a link between the disease environment and mental health.
Collapse
|
19
|
Angotti N, Sennott C. Implementing "insider" ethnography: lessons from the Public Conversations about HIV/AIDS project in rural South Africa. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH : QR 2015; 15:437-453. [PMID: 26451131 PMCID: PMC4593513 DOI: 10.1177/1468794114543402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
We describe the conceptualization and implementation of a research methodology in which "insider" community members work with "outsider" investigators as participant observers to document everyday conversations taking place in public settings in their communities. Our study took place in a resource-poor area of rural South Africa and focused on HIV/AIDS, yet we aim here to provide a road map for those interested in implementing this approach in other contexts for various empirical ends. Because this approach is unusual, we highlight considerations in selecting a team of ethnographers, describe the training process, and offer ways to ensure the data collected are trustworthy and confidential. We describe the advantages and limitations of utilizing "insider ethnography" in contexts where being indigenous to the study site provides access to perspectives that cannot be obtained through other methods. Finally, we examine how mutuality and the positionality of the research team affect data collection and quality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Angotti
- American University, MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa)
| | - Christie Sennott
- Purdue University, MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa)
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Conroy AA. 'It means there is doubt in the house': perceptions and experiences of HIV testing in rural Malawi. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2014; 16:397-411. [PMID: 24580127 PMCID: PMC3991518 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2014.883645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2013] [Accepted: 01/12/2014] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Research on HIV testing decision-making overlooks a complex array of interpersonal factors that go beyond HIV risk and extend into the realms of intimacy, love and marriage. The current study draws upon two sets of qualitative data, semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions, to investigate how romantic relationships shape HIV testing perceptions and experiences in rural Malawi. It invokes the classical works of symbolic interactionism to frame how people create meaning around the act of HIV testing that fits with their everyday lives. Pre-marital HIV testing was considered an acceptable method to confirm a partner's trustworthiness and commitment to the relationship. However, during marriage, a spontaneous discussion of HIV testing signified a breach of fidelity or that a partner could not be trusted. This belief was transposed such that an HIV test could also be used to confirm a person's moral character in the face of infidelity accusations and gossip. Thus, HIV testing during marriage was labelled as an unusual event, one reserved for special or problematic circumstances, rather than for regular screening of disease. A discussion of how these findings can inform HIV testing programmes and policy in sub-Saharan Africa is provided.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy A Conroy
- a Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado Denver , Denver , USA
| |
Collapse
|