Chinese NGOs in action against HIV/AIDS

Chinese non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have played a significant role in the battle against AIDS in the People's Republic of China. This article provides a brief overview of the structure of these organizations, as well as an analysis of their principle accomplishments. Of great significance in this analysis is the fact that Chinese NGOs have effectively dealt with many sensitive health education areas that government authorities have felt reluctant to handle directly. As such, they have provided an indispensable component in the HIV/AIDS prevention and control calculus on the mainland.     

Chinese NGOs in action against HIV/AIDS

Chinese nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have played a significant role in the battle against AIDS in the People‘s Republic of China. This article provides a brief overview of the structure of these organizations, as well as an analysis of their principle accomplishments. Of great significance in this analysis is the fact that Chinese NGOs have effectively dealt with many sensitive health education areas that government authorities have felt reluctant to handle directly. As such, they have provided an indispensable component in the HIV/AIDS prevention and control calculus on the mainland.     

Chinese NGOs in action against HIV/AIDS

Chinese nongovernmental organizations （NGOs） have played a significant role in the battle against AIDS in the People＇s Republic of China. This article provides a brief overview of the structure of these organizations, as well as an analysis of their principle accomplishments. Of great significance in this analysis is the fact that Chinese NGOs have effectively dealt with many sensitive health education areas that government authorities have felt reluctant to handle directly. As such, they have provided an indispensable component in the HIV/AIDS prevention and control calculus on the mainland.     

Chinese NGOs in action against HIV/AIDS

INTRODUCTION The AIDS epidemic continues its seemingly inexorable spread throughout the world. It is now very clear that the virus represents not only a medical problem, but also a challenging and multifaceted social problem. Because of this fact, it is imperative that nongovernmental organiza- tions outside of, or tangential to, the medical arena be- come involved in prevention and control efforts. The Chinese government is supportive of the development of such organizations on the mai…     

我国艾滋病歧视问题的社会心理学分析

本文描述了我国艾滋病歧视现象的现状,指出我国主流社会对艾滋病患者和艾滋病病毒感染者存在较为严重的歧视,阐述了消除我国艾滋病歧视的重要意义.然后分析了我国艾滋病歧视现象产生的历史原因和过程,指出我国艾滋病相关偏见和污名在艾滋病病毒流行前就已基本形成,而歧视则随着艾滋病的流行而确立和强化,并分析了刻板印象、自动化思维、锚定效应、错觉相关、认知归因错误、罗森塔尔效应、"恶有恶报"、认知失调、从众心理和非理性因素等强化艾滋病歧视顽固的社会心理因素.最后为逐步减少和消除我国艾滋病的反歧视"战争"制定了一组侧重于动员社会力量的战略和几个基于社会心理学的战术.     

Risk of AIDS related complex and AIDS in homosexual men with persistent HIV antigenaemia.

One hundred and ninety eight men seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody and 58 HIV antibody seroconverters were studied for an average of 19.3 (SEM 0.5) months to assess the relation between HIV antigenaemia and the risk of developing the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS related complex. Forty (20.2%) of the 198 HIV antibody seropositive men were antigen positive at entry and remained so during follow up. Eight (13.8%) of the 58 HIV antibody seroconverters and 20 (12.7%) of the remaining 158 HIV antibody seropositive men became antigen positive during follow up, resulting in an end point attack rate for HIV antigenaemia of 14.3%. AIDS related complex was diagnosed in 25 (15.8%) of the HIV antigen negative men and in 14 (20.7%) of the HIV antigen positive men. AIDS was diagnosed in 15 men, resulting in an end point attack rate for AIDS of 23.9% in the HIV antigen positive group and 1.3% in the antigen negative group. HIV antibody seropositive men without symptoms but with persistent HIV antigenaemia are at increased risk of developing AIDS and AIDS related complex.     

AIDS and the general practitioner: views of patients with HIV infection and AIDS.

An unselected series of outpatients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who attended two London hospitals were interviewed to assess their relationship with their general practitioner. Although most of the 192 patients were registered with a general practitioner, the doctors of only one half knew of the diagnosis. Patients feared a negative reaction from their general practitioner or were concerned about confidentiality. Although those who had told their doctor had received favourable reactions, few general practitioners attempted to counsel or educate their patients. The patients who previously had been open about their homosexuality were not more likely to have told their general practitioner of their HIV infection. Although most did not think that general practitioners were well informed about AIDS, half of the patients wished that general practitioners could take a bigger part in their care.     

Category of exposure to HIV and age in the progression to AIDS: longitudinal study of 1199 people with known dates of seroconversion. HIV Italian Seroconversion Study Group.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether rate of development of AIDS is affected by category of exposure to HIV and whether the more rapid development found in older subjects persists for each exposure category. DESIGN: Longitudinal study of people with known date of seroconversion to HIV. SETTING: 16 HIV treatment centres throughout Italy. SUBJECTS: 1199 people infected with HIV through use of injected drugs, homosexual sex, or heterosexual sex. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: AIDS as defined by 1987 definition of Centers for Disease Control (including and excluding neoplasms) and by 1993 European definition. RESULTS: 225 subjects (18.8%) progressed to AIDS (Centers for Disease Control 1987 definition) during median follow up of 5.8 years. Univariate analyses showed more rapid progression to AIDS for older subjects compared with younger subjects and for homosexual men compared with other exposure categories. The age effect was of similar size in each exposure category and in men and women. In a bivariate model with age and exposure categories simultaneously included as covariates, differences by exposure category disappeared for use of injected drugs and heterosexual sex compared with homosexual sex (relative hazards 1.02 (95% confidence interval 0.71 to 1.45) and 1.07 (0.70 to 1.64) respectively), while the age effect remained (relative hazard 1.55 (1.32 to 1.83) for 10 year increase in age). Analyses using the other definitions for AIDS did not appreciably change these results. CONCLUSIONS: There was no evidence of differences in rate of development of AIDS by exposure category, while there was a strong tendency for more rapid development in older subjects for all three groups. This supports the view that external cofactors do not play major role in AIDS pathogenesis but that age is of fundamental importance.     

Attitudes and sexual behaviours of unmarried people with HIV/AIDS living in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria

Background Increasing morbidity and mortality associated with HIV/AIDS may be attributable to the lifestyle of individuals. Appropriate sexual behaviour and lifestyle modification may be helpful strategies for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in many countries.Aim The study was designed to assess the impact of attitudes and sexual behaviour on control of HIV/AIDS among unmarried people living with HIV/AIDS in Uyo, a community in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.Method A total of 365 unmarried individuals living with HIV/AIDS were assessed at the HIV clinic of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital. Attitudes and sexual behaviour were evaluated using the Attitude and Sexual Behaviour Questionnaire adapted from previous studies.Results Of the 365 individuals living with HIV/AIDS, 142 (38.9%) were male and 223 (61.1%) were female. The majority of the subjects were below 50 years of age. The mean ages (± SD) of men and women were 36.8 ± 3.9 and 29.2 ± 1.7 years, respectively. Sexual attitudes and behaviours were variable. There was no change in the partner''s reaction to sex for 28.9% of men and 27.8% of women, abstinence in 7.7% of men and 8.1% of women, and breakdown of the relationship with the partner for 4.9% of men and 7.2% of women. More women than men agreed to undergo testing after their partners had tested positive for HIV. Sexual activity was higher in women than men, with 4.9% of men and 10.3% of women reporting daily sexual intercourse, 16.2% of men and 15.7% of women reporting weekly intercourse, and occasional sexual intercourse being reported by 44.4% of both men and women. After testing positive, 58.4% of male partners and 56.9% of female partners were persuaded to use condoms during sexual intercourse.Conclusion This study has demonstrated unhealthy attitudes and sexual behaviour among individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. This can potentially limit efforts and investment in controlling HIV/AIDS in this region. Therefore there is a need to initiate concrete policies and programmes that would encourage people living with HIV/AIDS in the Niger Delta region to adopt a healthy lifestyle.     

Mycological flora isolated from people in Poland

It has been shown that in Poland the most frequently encountered pathogenic fungi are the zoophilic ones:T. mentagrophytes, M. canis andT. verrucosum. The zoophilic fungi have been isolated in 69.6 % of cases, while the anthropophilic fungi in 30.3 % of cases. In Poland, the most frequently isolated fungus among anthropophilic fungi have beenT. rubrum (36.2 %) andT. violaceum (34.3 %), whereasT. schoenleinii has been found in 5.7 % of cases. The geographical distribution of the anthropophilic fungi indicates that they appear most frequently in the counties of Biaystok (58.2 %), Katowice (40.5 %), and Warsaw (36.5 %), while the zoophilic fungi are found prevalently in the counties of ód (93.0 %), Kielce (84.7 %) and in that of Szczecin (83.8 %). It has been ascertained that the diseased animals and sick persons form the main reservoirs of the pathogenetic fungi. For the prophylactic purposes it is indispensable to promote among the population the sanitary instructions and propagate the principles of personal hygiene, which play a very important role in preventing mycosis. Within the framework of antimycosis campaigns it is necessary to widen the collaboration between the dermatologists and veterinary surgeons.Summary The author came to the conclusion that people in Poland suffer mostly of zoo-philic (69.9 %) than of anthropophilic dermatomycoses (30.3 %).Trichophyton rubrum was observed in 36.2 %,T. violaceum in 24.3 % andT. schoenleinii in 5.7. %. The main reservoir of dermatomycoses in Poland are sick animals and people. In the fight against mycoses of people and animals the collaboration of dermatologists and veterinarians is absolutely necessary.

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Résumé L'auteur a démontré qu'en Pologne chez les hommes la fréquence des dermatomycoses zoophiles est plus haute (69.7 %) que celle des dermatomycoses anthropophiles (30.3 %). Trichophyton rubrum noté dans 36.2 %,Trichophyton violaceum dans 24.3 % etTrichophyton schoenleinii dans 5.7 % cas. Les réservoirs principaux des mycoses en Pologne sont les animaux et les hommes malades. Dans la lutte contre les mycoses chez les hommes et chez les animaux, il est indispensable de constituer une collaboration stricte entre les dermatologues et les véterinaires.