Abstract Book Vol. 2 [International Conference on AIDS (14th: 2002: Barcelona, Spain)]

XIV International AIDS Conference

Abstracts WePeF6771-WePeF6775 275

These priorities were incorporated into support services and the project outputs
and outcomes.
Lessons learnt: Disclosure to children and future planning for children were the
highest priorities identified by PLWHA's in Soweto. Clients felt that disclosure
and future planning would improve access to many essential services for them
and their children. Project outputs and outcomes that reflect decision making by
PLWHA's improve ownership.
Recommendations: AIDS support services for adults and children should include disclosure and future planning. Program development for the support of
children should be directed by focus group discussion by PLWHA's and their children.
Presenting author: Pearl Ntuli, PO Box 1460, Morningside, 2057, Gauteng,
South Africa, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: nicola_
grainger@ hopeww.org
WePeF6771 Multiprofessional team providing ongoing
counselling for HIV discordant and concordant
couples: a strategy to care and support
D.S. Fontenelle1, A.S. Machado2, L.F. Chazan2, C.X.B. Santos Lima3,
T.B. Loja3, I.S. Meireles3, M.C.A. Pacheco3. Epidemilogy Service/Pedro
Ernesto University Hospital/Rio de Janeiro State University Rua Alexandre de
Gusmao 11 ap 101 - Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, cep:20520-120,
Brazil; 2/Medical Psychology Discipline/Pedro Ernesto University Hospital/Rio de
Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 3Epidemiology Service/Pedro
Ernesto University Hospital/Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Issues: A multiprofessional project addressing HIV discordant and concordant
couples attending outpatient clinic at the Pedro Ernesto University Hospital -Rio
de Janeiro State University
Description: Since illness is a biopsychosocial process, a multiprofessional team
(physician and psychologist) developed an integral assistance project to discordant and concordant couples. Ten couples are enrolled in this project. Seven of
them are HIV discordant partners and three are seropositive couples. Problems
like HIV status disclosure, sexually active relationships, pregnancy willingness
and adherence to treatment and to safer sex practices are discussed with the
team. Couples have regularly been cared and counselled by the team to address
the issues and challenges mentioned above. This paper will illustrate this experience by showing the problems and questions of each couple and how the team
has cared and supported them.
Lessons learned: This study highlights the importance of developing public
health special approaches to couples. Concordant and discordant couples need
care and psychosocial support. Feelings of guilty, rejection and fear are commonly
expressed. Each couple has a particular history and experience that should be
understood by the team. Ongoing counselling has encouraged some partners to
disclose, helped partners to get tested, and also improved adherence to treatment
and condom use.
Recommendation: More research and ongoing counselling practice are required
to better address the subject of sero-discordance and sero-concordance. A multiprofessional team can provide integral assistance and guarantee counselling,
care and support. Thus, cared and supported couples can better protect themselves and live positively as infected and affected persons.
Presenting author: Debora Santos Fontenelle, Rua Alexandre de Gusmao 11
ap 101 - Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, cep:20520-120, Brazil, Tel.: +55
21 2567-0355, Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
WePeF6772 Out patient care program for PLWHA in resource
poor setting - One year experience without
external aid
R. Vadrevu1, L. Vadrevu2, D.V.S. Prasada Rao3, D.G. Saple4. 1Sudha Skin
Clinic, Kakinada; 2Saisudha Hospital Kakinada; 3Aids Awareness Group
Kakinada; 4G. T Hospital, Mumbai, India
Issues: Poverty severely cripples access and availablity of drugs and nutrition to
PLWHA in resource limited settings. Anti-retrovirals are a far cry for these people.
However community based care and support by way of nutrition and basic drugs
required to prevent occurrence of opportunistic infections(OI) goes a long way in
building strength and increasing longevity of the affected people.
Aids Awareness Groups (AAG) founded in 1995 as a voluntary health organisation started a free day care centre on World Aids day 1st Dec 2000. We share our
1 year's experience in treating PLWHA.
Description: Any patient who has tested +ve for HIV is welcome to our weekly
free/subsidised clinic run at the local red-cross building.The manpower consists
of a Doctor, a Paramadic, a Counselor and one Volunteer. All these people offer
their services free. A total of 148 PLWHA accounting for 530 patient visits were
benifited through this program in one Year. Each Patient who visits our clinic is
clinically examined and is investigated with minimum tests for TB and other O1. At

each visit the complaint clinical findings and body weight are noted. Counselling is
done on a continuous basis. Drugs are given for basic nutrition and for prevention
and treatment of 01.
Lessons learned: Counselling and simple cost effective care prolongs healthy
life of many a patient with HIV-AIDS.
A centre to take care of terminally sick patients is almost a must. Such clinics will
strengthen group strengths.

Recommendations: Day care centres should be well publicised and given required financial help.
An admission facility to take care of the terminally sick will be of great help.
Body weight should be used as a highly cost effective parameter in community
based care programs.
Presenting author: Ravi Vadrevu, Sudha Skin Clinic, 21-1-24, Jawahar Street,
Salipeta, Kakinada, India, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail:
[email protected]
WePeF6774 The role of an HIV treatment advocate in an inner
city community based organization
A. Reynolds. Tenderloin AIDS Resource Center, 187 Golden Gate Ave., San
Francisco, CA, 94102, United States
Issues: The complexity of HIV disease management calls for innovative measures to ensure the greatest quality of life for those with the disease. In the United
States, a number of studies show that drug-users receive less than optimal HIV
care due to such factors as the physician's fear of non-adherence, the patient's
lack of knowledge of HIV treatments, or a distrust of the medical system. Further
complicating matters are poverty, homelessness, and mental illness. For these
underserved populations, HIV treatment advocates provide individualized treatment sessions covering topics such as adherence to HAART, side-effect management, and opportunistic infection prevention.
Description: This presentation will review the challenges facing a population of
HIV-infected individuals living in an impoverished, inner-city community in San
Francisco, and show how the treatment advocate program of the Tenderloin AIDS
Resource Center can provide client-centered interventions in an effort to overcome such barriers. This presentation will be based upon ethnographic data, personal experience, and a literature review.
Lessons Learned: A treatment advocate program is a low threshold and lowcost means of improving HIV patient care. Working within a multi-disciplinary
team structure, treatment advocates are able to provide intensive patient support, particularly around adherence, that can both enhance treatment outcomes
and improve the quality of life for people with HIV.
Recommendation: Research suggests that the implementation of a treatment
advocate program can provide an effective intervention in disease management
for HIV-infected individuals. With minimal training, the treatment advocate offers
individualized patient support, governed by harm reduction principles, that can
increase medication adherence, reduce hospitalizations, and improve the quality
of life for those with HIV.
Presenting author: Andrew Reynolds, 187 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco,
CA, 94102, United States, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail:
[email protected]
WePeF6775I Empowering asian pacific islander women living
with HIV/AIDS
M. Balagtas, P. Phommachanh. Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, 1637
Appian Way #100, Santa Monica, CA 90401, United States
Issues: Asian Pacific Islander Women have always been viewed as the "Minority
Model," trying to overcome barriers and challenges of the stigma and shame associated with HIV/AIDS. The lack of education and health resources has proven to
be an obstacle for A&PI Women to access and seek out services that provide the
most culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare. A&PI Women who have
tested HIV Positive have found themselves feeling shameful, embarrassed, and
overwhelmed with the sense of guilt associated with HIV/AIDS. "Losing face" in
the community is a consequence one must endure if found out by non-supportive
friends and family. In the lives of A&PI Women they are often subjugated by their
own culture and led to believe that they are not able to have a future if they are
stricken by this disease.
Description: The Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, in Los Angeles, California designed and implemented a Self-Help program that provides care and support for those who are HIV Positive. Being culturally sensitive, the A&PI "Women's
Brunch" group has created a safe space for those who wanted a sense of normality, belonging, and motivation to live a long and healthy life. These Women are
able to relate to one another and share the same experiences of the difficulty face
with family and also being an A&PI Woman living with HIV/AIDS.
Lessons learned: This program is able to motivate, empower, and change the
behavior of individuals making the right decisions for themselves. Breaking the
barriers of the cultural stimga associated with this disease has proven to be effective within this program. Clients are able to improve upon their behavior modification by taking steps and sustaining a healthly prospect.
Recommendations: Using the most culturally appropriate standard care model
to provide support and empowerment to A&PI Women will promote the neccessities of a normal and healthy life.

Presenting author: Marian Balagtas, 1637 Appian Way #100, Santa Monica, CA
90401, United States, Tel.: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]