Collateral damage: Impact of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in people living with HIV.

People living with HIV (PLWH) may be at higher risk for adverse outcomes indirectly associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). When comparing responses to questionnaires administered when social distancing and quarantine guidelines were first implemented, we found that PLWH were more likely to have restricted access to medical care, increased financial stress, increased symptoms of anxiety and depression, and increased substance use compared to demographically-similar people without HIV.

New Zealand women living with HIV/AIDS: a feminist perspective.

This paper draws on current and earlier literature, together with observational and anecdotal data to reveal the situation of HIV positive women in New Zealand. The present picture is examined in relation to data from a previously unpublished qualitative study undertaken by the author in 2001 using a feminist perspective. It would seem that dominant concerns of the women today are much the same as those surfacing in the earlier study. These include stigma and the associated problem of whether to conceal or reveal. Additionally these women are concerned that health professionals do not always take their problems seriously. Their distress is aggravated by fact of them being women suffering from what is generally seen as a male disease. The feminist perspective highlights the relative powerlessness of many women in the context of sexual relations whereby much of the prophylactic advice--such as insistence on condom use--becomes irrelevant. New women oriented education programmes are needed. It is argued that nurses are well placed to make a positive contribution in this area of care, and in fact are obligated to do so if their practice is to be consistent with the profession's declared aims with respect to cultural safety. However it is noted that there is still a degree of prejudice and ignorance to be overcome before the desired results will be achieved.

The spectrum of symptoms among rural South Africans with HIV infection.

The vast majority of people infected with HIV in South Africa have no access to antiretroviral therapy, making palliative care the only treatment available. An important element of palliative care is symptom management. However, little is known about the range of symptoms and the distress associated with them among rural South Africans living with HIV/AIDS. A cross-sectional study was conducted to describe the spectrum of symptoms experienced by 64 HIV-positive patients who received palliative care from a rural home-based palliative care program. Data were determined using a questionnaire adapted from an HIV symptom list and HIV symptom profile. The physical symptoms of most immediate importance identified by the respondents were localized pain, skin problems, cough, vaginal discharge/infection, and fatigue. The psychological symptoms of the most immediate and overall importance were feelings of anger, loneliness, decreased support from family and friends, and a decreased sense of satisfaction. This study provides insight into the spectrum of HIV-associated symptoms in a rural South African HIV-positive population. Through improved symptom assessment and management, nurses can improve palliative care services to those suffering from the distressful symptoms associated with HIV infection.

Reducing health disparities through culturally sensitive treatment for HIV+ adults in Haiti.

There is a critical need to deliver empirically validated interventions to underserved populations. Haiti, the country most heavily affected by the AIDS epidemic in the Caribbean, accounts for approximately 50% of all cases in the region. Poverty, disparities in access to healthcare, and socio-political instability are among the reasons why the country has been ravaged by the disease. Ongoing projects in Haiti have shown that integrated prevention and care in resource poor settings are feasible and can be successful, as evidenced by a 50% drop in incidence among pregnant women since 1993. The AIDS prevention program has embarked on a comprehensive effort to culturally adapt a cognitive-behavioral stress management program for Haitian HIV+ individuals. The purpose of the program is to improve adherence to antiretroviral medication, reduce transmission to uninfected partners, and improve coping. This comprehensive approach is necessary to ensure the validity of the cross-cultural adaptation of this intervention.