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

XIV International AIDS Conference

Abstracts ThPeG8414-ThPeG8417 685

duction of two films, that empowered them to share their experiences with other
women: Women and HIV: Why Should I get Tested? and Women and HIV: Listen
to Your Body - Knowledge is Power! Two of the participants, Katsy and Alfreda,
will share their powerful message and excerpts of the films, discussing barriers to
being tested and/or treated for HIV.
Lessons learned: In the focus groups and the videos, the messages were clear:
women learn through listening to other women; testimonials highlight women's
experiences, didactic lessons are less effective in reaching women to convince
them to get tested or treated; women are often not aware of the messages their
bodies are telling them; prison has its own set of barriers to being tested or treated
for HIV infection.
Recommendations: Women are effective peer educators and learn through connection and dialogue. Peer education using videotapes is an effective way to
reach women at risk and encourage them to be tested for HIV.
Presenting author: Sarah Walker, Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland
Avenue, Mail Code 158, Albany, NY 12208, United States, Tel.: +[phone],
Fax: +[phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8414 Innovative Initiative on HIV/AIDS awareness and
education through distance learning
G. Thomas. Indira Gandhi National Open University S.O CE., I.G.N.O.U., New
Delhi - 110068, India
In India, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which causes AIDS, appeared
much later than other parts of the world. However, this killer disease is spreading
with unprecedented rapidity and has now emerged as a serious socio-economic
and public health problem. HIV/AIDS seems to be the most dreaded disease in
human history To visualize the devastating effects of the HIV epidemic within
ones lifetime and beyond is difficult. While offering curative care to AIDS patients
seems to be a distant reality in the absence of a vaccine, evolving various strategies to prevent and control the unabated spread of this pandemic is desirable
and possible. For this immediate and effective response in new programme areas
through teaching, research and extension is required. It is in this context the role
of the Indira Gandhi National Open University assumes importance in India.
IGNOU has initiated a massive HIV/AIDS awareness campaign as well a couple
of education programmes on 'HIV/AIDS and Family Education'.
They include the following:
1. HIV/AIDS prevention guide for students (awareness package)
2. Certificate in HIV and Family Education
3. Diploma in HIV and Family Education
4. Educational Video Programmes
The university proposes to expand its activities in the area of HIVAIDS in the
years to come on a war footing. IGNOU has jurisdiction across the country and
has a National Network with study centers catering to both urban and rural areas.
In this paper the author proposes to make a brief presentation about the process involved and the experiences gained in planning, designing, developing and
launching the various programmes mentioned above by the University through
distance learning mode.
Presenting author: Gracious Thomas, S.O.C.E., I.G.N.O.U., New Delhi - 110068,
India, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: graciousthomas@hotmail.
com
ThPeG8415 The culture of biomedicine and AIDS: An
anthropolgical assessment
R. Jones1, A. Ribo1, G. Sinclair2, S. Moreno3, J. Sandoval', P Keiser2.
'Texas/Oklahoma AIDS Education & Training Center, 4909 Victor, Dallas, Texas,
75214, United States; 2U. T Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States;
3Parkland Health & Hospital System, Dallas, United States
Issues: This paper examines the culture of biomedicine as it impacts the diagnosis, treatment, and care of HIV/AIDS patients in diverse clinical settings in the
U.S., ranging from a large, urban public hospital to a series of geographically dispersed and ethnically diverse rural health clinics. Although the theory and praxis
of culture has assumed an integral role in AIDS research, most efforts have been
limited to studying the culture of patients or the culture of indigenous healers. Few
efforts are directed toward studying the biomedical culture of HIV/AIDS providers
and clinics. This cultural gap emanates from the faulty premise that culture constitutes a unilinear concept and that cultural competency can be achieved from a
singular perspective.
Description: Using traditional anthropological procedures, including participantobservation, structured and unstructured interviews, and case studies, this paper
demonstrates the ways in which biomedicine functions as a unique and discreet
cultural system. Subsequently, it addresses the implications this poses for the
treatment and management of patients with HIV/AIDS, focusing on adherence,
patient-provider communication, and counseling.
Lessons learned: The concept of culture and the cultural competency paradigm

currently used by HIV/AIDS clinicians, academicians, counselors, and policy makers must be reconfigured so that biomedicine is defined and approached as a
viable cultural system. Failure to do so will likely lead to continued problems with
adherence for patients, while simultaneously undermining efforts to get providers
to integrate cultural competency into patient care.
Recommendations: Findings suggest it would be productive to: 1) develop counseling modules for HIV/AIDS patients that address the structure and dynamics of

biomedical culture, and 2) develop training modules for HIV/AIDS providers that
articulate the precise way in which biomedicine constitutes a unique and viable
cultural system.
Presenting author: Rose Jones, 4909 Victor, Dallas, Texas, 75214, United
States, Tel.: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8416I Compliance group: a pedagogical experiment for
treating patients with HIVIAIDS
L.M.C. Silveira, V.M.B. Ribeiro. Universidade Federal do Rio de
Janeiro-UFRJ/NUTES LCE, Rua Bulh6es de Carvalho, 329/702- Copacanana,
cep:22081-000, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Issues: According to data from the Ministry of Health there arecurrently 100,000
people in Brazil infected with HIV in use of antiretroviral(ARV).We have a policy
of free distribution of ARV to all HIV patients. In order for this policy to operate
effectively patient compliance to treatment is among the most important issues to
be recorded by the healthcare workers (HCW). As a strategy by which to raise
the awareness and the capabilities of HCW was organized workshops to enable
them to work with patient-groups directed at compliance to treatment
Description: The workshops constituted opportunities in which theprofessionals were able to learn and have first-hand experience of techniques that enabled them to expand the extent of their intervention to work in the compliance
group(space in which patients and professionals with a common cause, compliance to treatment, exchange information and share experiences to better understand their health situations and the importance of their participation in the
treatment process).The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (LCE/NUTES) is realizing an evaluation study of the workshops to identify the impact of this method
on the growth of compliance groups and the capabilities of the professionals who
set up andmaintain these groups.
Lessons learned: Two lessons deserve specific mention: the learning experience with the patient, in a project that can be considered pedagogic in terms of
the interaction between professional and patient; and thecapabilities both those
developed in the Workshops and observed in fieldwork as well as those that are
created as a result of unexpected situations and experiences arising within the
context of the groups.
Recommendations: We recommended a collective approach to the perspective
of full understanding of the health-sickness process, to produce knowledge that
helps to improve the management of resources specially in populous countries
and for efficient use of funds and professionals.
Presenting author: Lia Silveira, Rua Bulh6es de Carvalho, 329/702- Copacanana, cep:22081-000, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tel.: [phone], Fax:
[phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8417 Counseling training center COM VIDA: an strategy
of partnership for education and assistance in HIV
D.H.A. Lima', M. Devesal, L.M.C. Silveiral, C.R. Marques1, F.A. Itikawa1,
M.M. Paz1, R.D. Rodrigues1, M.P.S. Ferreira2. Universidade do Estado do Rio
de Janeiro-UERJ/Hospital Universitario Pedro Ernesto-HUPE, Rua Macedo
Sobrinho ntmero 4 apartamento 901, Bairro Humaitd, Cidade Rio de Janeiro,
CEP:22271-080, Brazil; 2Secretaria Estadual de Sadde do Rio de Janeiro, Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil
Issue: Since 1991, when the first case of Aids in Integral Medicine ambulatory
was officially reported, we are defining strategies to take better approach of HIV
patients and your communities (families, friends, partners) by teaching health
care workers.
Description: The Health Ministry of Brazil, in 1999,invite us to conduct aCounseling Training Center to health care workers(HCW) with practice in STD and Aids
at Rio de Janeiro state. We are a team of teachers working an Universitary Hospital. The counseling, inserted in holistic conception of health disease process, can
change the increasing course of epidemic: we are working with persons and not
diseases. At now we concluded six trainings of 137 HCW. All of them working at
Rio de Janeiro state, in 22 cities(50% of cities with Aids programs). The classes
of health care workers with more presence are: physicians, psychologists, social
assistances and nurses. The trainings are conducted by a fixed team of teachers,
responsible to develop, carry out the most of activities and evaluation. We worked
in a model of teaching that valorize and begin the work considering the abilities
and practice of trainees.
Lessons learned: "The dynamic way to talk about the subjects facilitate the learning of contents." "The training got to reach our professional and specially personal
side." "I appreciated the dynamics because I could to take a reflection. When the
reflection is present, the opportunity of change is present to." "I liked to know
people that think in people. This is very unusual."
Recommendations: We understood Counseling like an attitude in attendance
process that allow to create fundamental links to comprehend the disease and
the treatment adherence. The Training Center of Counseling Com Vida is an ac
tivity of extent with clear improvement to academy, assistance and community
Presenting author: Denise Lima, Rua Macedo Sobrinho nOmero 4 apartamento
901, Bairro Humaita, Cidade Rio de Janeiro, CEP:22271-080, Brazil, Tel.: +55
(21) 25350626, Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]