Prevention of HIV Infection in African Men Who Have Sex With Men
In West Africa, men who have sex with men are exposed to a high risk of HIV infection and could benefit from stronger prevention including pre-exposure prophylaxis.
In West Africa, men who have sex with men are exposed to a high risk of HIV infection and could benefit from stronger prevention including pre-exposure prophylaxis.
‘Women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) suffer from mental health issues such as depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disprder, anxiety and low self-esteem.’
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The pilot study was led by Dr. Mona Mittal, assistant professor in the Department of Family Science in the University of Maryland School of Public Health, and Dr. Michael Carey, director of the Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine at the Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. "Although research has established a strong link between ‘intimate partner violence,' or IPV, and subsequent HIV infection, there are few empirically-supported interventions that address the unique needs of women who experience IPV and who are at increased risk for contracting HIV," wrote Dr. Mona Mittal Mittal in her research paper "An Integrated HIV Risk Reduction Intervention for Women with a History of Intimate Partner Violence: Pilot Test Results," which was published in AIDS and Behavior.
Abused women may be coerced to have unprotected sex or experience fear of violent consequences when negotiating condom use, Dr. Mittal explains. They may also be involved in high-risk sexual behavior, having sex with multiple partners or high-risk individuals, such as injection drug users. Studies also show that women who experience IPV suffer from mental health issues such as depression, PTSD, anxiety and low self-esteem. Men who engage in abusive behavior are also more likely to engage in high-risk sexual behavior and use condoms infrequently, according to studies by Columbia University researcher, Nabila El-Bassel.
Age-Gap Relationships are Driving the HIV Epidemic in South Africa
Teenage girls from households which received child support were two-thirds less likely to have a much older boyfriend compared to other girls.
Teenage girls from households which received child support were two-thirds less likely to have a much older boyfriend compared to other girls.
The other 28 women included in the study were placed in a control group that received counseling support related to the abuse cycle, the impact of abuse on children, self-esteem and personal rights, among other topics. The control group intervention, which was organized by a domestic violence agency, focused primarily on IPV and its impact on women''s lives- less on preventing HIV and STD transmission.
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Quick HIV Cure is Not Impossible, It's Just Very, Very Hard
Progress is being made towards developing an HIV cure, but it is impossible to tell when or even if a cure for the devastating epidemic would be found.
Progress is being made towards developing an HIV cure, but it is impossible to tell when or even if a cure for the devastating epidemic would be found.
"What makes this intervention unique is that we recruited women who might currently be in abusive relationships or as recent as the last 3 months. It is more challenging to work with women with recent experiences of IPV, compared to lifetime experiences of IPV," Mittal said. Dr. Mittal hopes to lead a larger trial that will expand on the findings from the pilot study.
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There is no AIDS cure or vaccine. ART cocktails suppress the virus, enabling people to live long, though the drugs are expensive and can have side effects.
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