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

XIV International AIDS Conference

Abstracts ThPeG8328-ThPeG8332 667

ThPeG8328 Towards dismantling negative political attitude and
cultural barriers for effective and sustainable
Hiv/Aids intervention policy for deaf communities
in Africa
M. Bello Bala. Deaf Rehabilitation Foundation, 35 oba akran avenue, ikeja,
lagos., nigeria, Nigeria
Issues: Negative political and cultural barriers has emerged as a major barrier
to implementing and sustaining effective Hiv/Aids prevention policy for Deaf communities in Africa. the conclusive outcome of our qualitative research conducted
within a cross-section of deaf communies in Nigeria, Benin and Ghana shows
85% of hearing-Impiared youths are unaware of the AIDs pandemic, 15% has
no-access to STD/HIV preventive information from their health ministry, news
media,or social welfare workers. At present there is a high prevelence ratio of
opportunistic infections and death with the deaf communities at age bracket of
15-26 years.
Description: This paper will identify and highlight the negetive political and
cultural barriers that mitigate against HIV/AIDs preventive strategies within the
African Deaf community setting and as a model for ensuring best pratice and
joint -multisectoral action programmes for Deaf communites at local, regional and
global level, lesson learned: Isolation and non collaborative intervention efforts
between programme developers and target communities led to inability to replicate activities,target Audience reluctancy, rejection and wastage
Recommendation: this research recommends that qualitative research of target
community is compulsory and appropriate models for multisectoral participation
be developed and applied.
Presenting author: bala bello, 35 oba akran avenue, ikeja, lagos., nigeria, Nigeria, Tel.: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8329 Widow rite practices in Cameroon and their
problems in the face of HIVIAIDS
B. Ountouten. POBOX: 86 MBALMAYO, Cameroon
Issues: Widows rite are commonly practised in Cameroon in the southern of the
Country It creates undue hardship on women. Although it enables them to exercise their psychological problems as a result of the death of their husbands, the
advent of HIV/AIDS has brought about a new problem for these practice.
Description: Having undergone these rite myself, I have been closely studying
it since 1999. 19 widows from 11 ethnic groups in Cameroon were interviewed
concerning how they themselves as well as others members of their communities
went through this rite. It was realised that all of them underwent physical and psychological torture which they were forced to accept so as to avoid psychological
problems with the wide-spread advance of HIV they are now resisting certain aspect of this rite: "Levirat" the common use of a single razor blade for scanification
to protect the widow or shave all members of the family, as well as accusation of
having killed her husband, with the risk of being banished from the community.
The family of the man suffering from AIDS considers because of the confidentiality surrounding this disease that he his victim of witchcraft caused by the widow
'a slow poison". Sometimes, to prove her innocence, she is forced to drink water
from the washing of the husband's corpse.
Lessons learned: Widow rites have certain aspects that promote the spread of
HIV (practice of Levirat (sleeping with the husband's brother, scarifications) as
well as those which make her vulnerable (accusation and rejection).
Recommendations: The silence surrounding HIV/AIDS should be lifted within
the extended family circle in case of the husband's death from AIDS so as to
break the chain of its transmission and offer better protection to the widow.
Presenting author: BERTILLE OUNTOUTEN, POBOX: 86 MBALMAYO,
Cameroon, Tel.: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8330 The sexual behavior of undocumented latino men
living in North Carolina: socio-cultural
perspectives
S.D. Rhodes1, I. Remnitz2, E. Eng1, K.C. Hergenrather3. 1University of North
Carolina, department of health behavior and health education, 319-c rosenau
hall, cb# 7440, chapel hill, nc 27599-7440, United States; 2Chatham
Communities In Action, Pittsboro, NC, United States; 3George Washington
University, Washington, DC, United States
Issues: Latinos in the US are affected by HIV, AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases disproportionately. Research aimed at understanding influences on sexual
behavior of recent immigrants is limited. We sought to gather and synthesize formative data on the social determinants of sexual health from Latino men in North
Carolina. When compared to other US states, NC has had the greatest influx of
Latino immigrants within the past decade.
Description: This exploratory study used two methods, focus groups and qualm
tative interviews. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling of adult
male soccer-team members within Chatham County, NC. All participants were
first generation Latino immigrants who had lived in North Carolina for at least 6
months.
Lessons learned: Our findings suggest that within this community, knowledge
about HIV and AIDS was high but misconceptions remained. Confusion existed
about modes of transmission, access to care, and whether payment was required
for services. Confidentiality and translation were important. Besides practical is
sues, socio-cultural issues identified included the influences of 1) machismo,
or the perception that masculinity can be proven by sexuality and risk; 2) silence about sexual matters, producing less safer sex negotiation, inaccurate selfobservation, and insufficient self-regulation; 3) poverty, resulting in the lowered
importance of HIV in the day-to-day struggle to survive; 4) fatalism and feelings
of limited control over health and personal well-being; and 5) racism, yielding lowered self-esteem and negative internalized personal identity
Recommendations: Further research is needed. Our findings indicate that although practical barriers to self-protection exist, there are socio-cultural issues
that also warrant attention. Working in partnership with Latino men is necessary
to identify pertinent issues and possible strategies to address them.
Presenting author: scott rhodes, department of health behavior and health education, 319-c rosenau hall, cb# 7440, chapel hill, nc 27599-7440, United States,
Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8331 Looking for to improve our quality of life
M. Garcfa, J. Serrano. Gapes, Call//e 9 No. 101, Col. Las Aguilas, Cd.
Nezahualc6yot, C.P 5700, Mexico
Issues: AIDS and economic crisis are two factors that are been present in Mexico
during the two last decades, in 1982 initiated but prolonged economic crisis and
in 1983 its first case of AIDS was diagnosed, since then both factors have framed
our life. The groups of support and self-support have constituted the answer by
people living with HIV. The strategies that these groups have implemented determine their success.
Description: The Group of Support of People Linked Against AIDS, GAPES by
its abbreviations in spanish, is a project started in 1992. At the moment it includes
80 people approximately, most of them living with HIV that receive medical attention from the Mexican Institute of Social Security, IMSS, through a Hospital located in Los Reyes La Paz, east of the Mexico city, the zone of greater economic
marginalization. The economic income of many of these people is not more than
130 U.S. dollars per month.
Our work has had to surpass economic limitations and to establish a strategy
to improve our quality of life, that consists of the collective definition of specific
activities in 3 fundamental ways:
(1) Medical Attention: To receive and to share information relative to treatments,
adherence, secondary effects of medicines and nutrition. To obtain specialized
medical attention from the IMSS.
(2) Economic supports: To Integrate in projects that allow to obtain to our members an additional economic entrance.
(3) Human development: To fortify values like solidarity and comradeship. Counseling to new people with HIV diagnosis. Handling of personal emotions.
Lessons learned: During the GAPES's existence, ours activities have been diverse and our experience has allowed us to establish the active participation of
all our members as the best strategy to make of ours a successful group.
Recommendations: To foment the participation to the interior of the supportgroups to the definition of the specific activities, which respond to theirs ownneeds.
Presenting author: Miguel Garcia, Calle 9 No. 101, Col. Las Aguilas, Cd. Nezahualc6yotl, C.P. 5700, Mexico, Tel.: [phone], E-mail: miguelga@prodigy
net.mx
ThPeG8332 HIV prevention and testing project for the inmates
at the police stations of Rosario, Argentina. Final
report
C.M. Maidagan1, C.F Garat1, M. Herndndez1, L. Echegoy', E. Lucerol,
N. Andr6s1, A. Tesolini1, L. Trape2, M.A. Acosta2, M. Agostini2, M. Taborda3.
1 Coordinadora de Trabajo Carcelario, Rosario, Argentina; 2Sociedad Argentina
de SIDA, Rosario, Argentina; 3Area Virologia UNR, Rosario, Argentina
Issues: In Rosario and surrounding areas, there is a population of about 1000
people deprived of their freedom, stacked in prisons, without any access to medical assistance, living in inhuman conditions. They are in 30 Police Stations whose
capacity to host prisoners is usually doubled and even tripled. About 10% of this
population is HIV+.
Descriptions: During the years 1999 to 2001, and in order to provide this population with tools for prevention and access to their right to health, the COORDINADORA DE TRABAJO CARCELARIO implemented a 5-visit routine to 21 Police Stations, 4 of which host under age inmates, and carried out surveys, debate
workshops, personal interviews and voluntary HIV testing with pre- and post-test
counseling. 457 surveys, 363 personal interviews and 312 HIV tests were done
(250 adults, 10 of which were positive, and 57 children, none of them positive).
Out of this work the results state that we have a population with a low level of education (42% of the adults, and 63% of the under age inmates had not completed
primary school), a high percentage of alcoholism (80% of the adults and 86%
of the under age) and drug use (82% of the adults and 97% of the under age),

starting at an early age (70% before 15 years old), with great vulnerability to HIV,
and with great difficulty to assume care-taking conducts - a population subject to
a high degree of violence (51% of the adults suffered some type of violent harm).
Lessons learned: The friendly relationship and mutual trust established with the
NGO promoters helped this highly conflicted population respond very well to the
proposed methods, cooperating with great involvement. We found no discrimination and a solidarity attitude regarding HIV+ persons.