HIV/AIDS In South Africa

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According to UNAIDS, (2013b), Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and can be transmitted in many ways – this includes contact with infected blood and bodily fluids; such as sharing of needles or drug injection equipment, through unprotected sex through, mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy or breast-feeding, and through receipt of infected blood transfusions. There is currently no cure for HIV/AIDS. Once an individual contracts HIV, he or she has it for life. HIV/AIDS is a major health concern in South Africa. HIV/AIDS has become an extensively spread virus that affects the human immune system. South African black women continue being one of the population greatest at risk for HIV infection, various health behaviours contribute to these women being at risk. HIV is perceived to be more prevalent in South Africa than anywhere else worldwide with 5.6 million people living with HIV, and 270,000 HIV correlated deaths recorded in 2011. Approximately 12.2% of the South African population are living with HIV/AIDS; when excluding children, that percentage of people affected with HIV/AIDS rises to 18% (UNAIDS, 2013b). According to Shisana, Rehle, Simbayi et al., (2012), HIV prevalence amongst 20-34 year-old black African women appears to be higher than all women of other age groups and race – the prevalence is 36%. The high HIV prevalence in women of this age group in South Africa is a results of a number of health behaviours which includes: not using condoms, not knowing their HIV/AIDS status, alcohol and recreational drug use, and having multiple sexual partners. HIV/AIDS weakens ones immune system, this causes black women who are affected by HIV to be more vulnerab...

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...heir risk of the community knowing their HIV status, stigma and the community rejecting them (Shisana, Rehle, Simbayi et al. 2012). Stigma leads to the reduction of motivation to be go test and know ones status and increases the chances that black women will act in response to their HIV status by denial. HIV/AIDS awareness gives emphasis to the link between HIV and death, this escalates denial and decreases the likelihood that black women with HIV will feel ‘empowered’ to implement active, positive coping strategies, as well as the use of condoms as this is the primary prevention to HIV when sexually active. Programs for volunteer counselling and testing thus need to go hand in hand with interventions that encourages ‘living positively with HIV’ to the community as a whole, and discourse an existing community culture of denial, stigma and silence surrounding HIV.

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