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Inner-city women and AIDS: the psycho-social benefits of unsafe sex.

The paper describes and analyzes findings from a larger study of the links between low levels of condom use and impoverished, urban, African-American women's experiences and understandings of heterosexual relationships. The research identifies and explores psycho-social barriers to safer-sex. This article examines, in detail, HIV/AIDS risk denial and women's strategic use of unsafe (condomless) sex and "monogamy narratives" to build and to maintain this denial. The tendency to view urban African-American women's conjugal affiliations as instrumental is questioned.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗

The politics of marginalization: the appropriation of AIDS prevention messages among injection drug users.

This essay addresses the space between a cultural critique and a class analysis of HIV transmission. It explores how injection drug users, as a disempowered group, resist hegemony through dissent. Distrust of the medical establishment and severe social and legal constraints force injection drug users to reconstruct the AIDS message. Economic and political survival inflates the need for trust and reciprocity within their social network. This makes the meaning of AIDS a continually ambiguous one for drug users. The ways in which dissent to domination is enacted and the effect this has on HIV prevention is explored.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Ethical issues arising from a research, technology and development project to support frail older people and their family carers at home.

The present paper provides an overview of the application of the key ethical issues which arose in an EU-funded research, technology and development project, Assisting Carers using Telematics Interventions to meet Older Persons' Needs (ACTION). The primary aim of the ACTION project was to support frail older people and their family carers in their own homes across England, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Sweden and Portugal via the use of user-friendly information and communication technology. Ethical guidelines were developed in the project and used as a tool to enable the multidisciplinary project team to increase their awareness of ethical issues in their everyday work, and to act as a useful ethical framework for regular team discussions at international and local meetings across the partner countries. A range of ethical issues arose during the field-study phases of the project when the ACTION services were introduced into a number of families' own homes. It can be argued that these ethical issues reflect factors relating both to the application of research into practice, as well as those relating more directly to the use of new technology by families and care professionals. Key issues centre upon the ethical concepts of autonomy, independence, quality of life, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice, and more specifically, on ethical issues of security, privacy and confidentiality, increased expectations, and withdrawal of the service. This paper is intended to facilitate dialogue and debate in the area of enabling (assistive) technology in home care for older people and their families.

Activities of Daily Living↗

An implementation framework for household and community integrated management of childhood illness.

This paper describes the development and recent history of the third component of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy, improving household and community practices (HH/C IMCI). An implementation framework for this third component, developed through review of experiences of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in community-based child health and nutrition programmes, is then presented. This Framework responds to demand from NGOs and their partners for a description of the different categories of community-level activities necessary for the implementation of a comprehensive child health and nutrition programme. These categories of activities facilitate the systematic cataloguing, synthesis and coordination of organizational activities and experience. It also serves as a reference tool for improving communication of related community child health activities, and a guide for designing appropriate behaviour change strategies. The Framework was endorsed by participants in an international workshop held in Baltimore, Maryland in January 2001, and specified three linked elements that are integral to HH/C IMCI, supported by a multi-sectoral platform that addresses constraints communities face in adopting practices that promote health and nutrition. The three programmatic Elements critical to HH/C IMCI programmes are (1). improving partnerships between health facilities or services and the communities they serve; (2). increasing appropriate and accessible care and information from community-based providers; and (3). integrating promotion of key family practices critical for child health and nutrition. The Framework presented in this paper is an ideal tool for describing, sharing and coordinating efforts in the field, and is purposely descriptive rather than prescriptive.

Child↗

Using focus groups to explore the views of parents whose children are in hospital.

Parents of children in hospital were invited to attend focus group discussions to give their views on: the experience of attending hospital with their children; information provision; facilities; and relationships with staff. The aim of the study was to inform an action plan to identify good practice and improve aspects of service delivery identified as of concern to parents. Themes identified from recorded discussions of 15 parents in four sessions were categorised as: They should be listening to parents; Stress of staying with their child; Feeling safe; Waiting; Parents as partners in care. Actions were planned to address physical aspects of care, such as provision of parent information, and staff to care for parents waiting with their child. Cultural aspects of care were addressed, as well as the invisible aspects of caring for children and their parents including attitudes and communication. The research indicates that parents appreciate the opportunity to tell their story and supports the idea of holding focus groups in the future.

Child↗

Development and psychometric testing of the Wilmoth Sexual Behaviors Questionnaire-Female.

The purpose of this study was to develop and test the Wilmoth Sexual Behaviors Questionnaire-Female. As initially developed, the WSBQ-F consisted of 54 items arranged in 8 subscales. Items were rated on a Likert-type scale, with high scores reflecting more consistent use of a sexual behaviour. A convenience sample of 310 women with breast cancer (n = 165) and healthy women (n = 145) participated in the study. An Index of Content Validity of 1.00 was obtained. Construct validity was estimated using exploratory factor analysis and the known groups method. Internal consistency reliability was .94 for the total scale, with coefficients ranging between 0.52 and 0.94 for the subscales. The test-retest correlation coefficient was .81 for the total scale; coefficients were between .58 and .88 for the subscales. Initial testing of the measure suggests that the WSBQ-F is a reliable and valid measure of female sexual behaviours.

Adult↗

Reflecting on the experience of interviewing online: perspectives from the Internet and HIV study in London.

This paper considers some of the strengths and weaknesses of conducting synchronous online interviews for qualitative research. It is based on a study among gay/bisexual men that used both qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the association between seeking sex through the Internet and HIV transmission risk. Between June 2002 and January 2004, 128 gay/bisexual men living in London were interviewed one-to-one by the first author (MD) about their experience of using the Internet to find sexual partners and negotiating condom use for anal sex. Thirty-five men were interviewed online, while 93 were interviewed face-to-face (i.e. offline). This paper draws on MD's experience of conducting these interviews--both online and face-to-face. Synchronous online interviews have the advantage of being cheap, convenient and attractive to people who do not like face-to-face interviews. However, some of the social conventions and technical limitations of computer-mediated-communication can introduce ambiguity into the online dialogue. To minimize this ambiguity, both interviewer and interviewee have to edit their online interaction. One of the distinctive features of the online interview is that it emerges as a form of textual performance. This raises fundamental questions about the suitability of the synchronous online interview for exploring sensitive topics such as risky sexual behaviour.

Adult↗

Network integration: the impact of integrated delivery systems. Roundtable discussion.

One of the hottest, most competitive segments of the healthcare IS industry encompasses integration tools and systems for linking divergent, best-of-breed systems. As firms such as Healthcare Communications, HUBLink, Oacis, Software Technologies Corp., Century Analysis and Eagle Innovations vie for new contracts, CIOs and IS directors wonder about the strategic advantages of single-vendor solutions vs. the best-of-breed approach. This dynamic has driven system acquisitions for several years. More recently, 33 percent of respondents to the 1995 HIMSS/HP Survey cited integration across separate facilities as their No. 1 priority for the next two years. Clearly the emergence of integrated delivery systems and providers of continuums of care--where the cost to replace the information technologies of acquired or partnered entities remains prohibitive--will cause the market for interface engines and other integration tools to continue expanding. Following are the perceptions of a few experts on the topic. They were asked to answer two questions: 1) What are the toughest challenges faced when integrating an integrated delivery system? and 2) What are the current best practices to solving this challenge?

Comprehensive Health Care↗

[The competence network "acute and chronic leukemias"].

Leukemias are a challenge and a cost factor to society because of their frequency in all age groups. They also serve as a model for a variety of diseases and possess exemplary relevance for basic research and patient care. Leukemia research and therapy have achieved high standards and even a leading position in Germany with regard to clinical trials, standardization of diagnostics and molecular studies of prognostic factors, signal transduction and gene expression. Progress is hampered, however, by fragmentation of leukemia trial groups, diagnostic approaches and treatment research activities. A network was therefore created to integrate the leading leukemia trial groups on chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphatic leukemia (ALL), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and chronic myeloproliferative diseases (CMPD) and their interdisciplinary partners (diagnostics, treatment research, biometry) in cooperation with basic research and pharmaceutical industry to foster advancements in leukemia-related research and health care through clinical trials, promotion of translational research, introduction of standards for diagnostics and therapy, and development of evidence-based guidelines. Achievements include establishment of central information, communication and management structures, creation of an AML intergroup comprising five study groups, formation of a myelodysplastic syndromes study group and establishment of platforms for diagnostics, genomics and proteomics, and medical informatics. Exchange of scientific progress is mediated by intra- and internet, bi-annual newsletters, regular project group meetings and annual network symposia. Already now, the network structures leukemia therapy and research in Germany and supports the spread of scientific excellence in the field of leukemias.

Acute Disease↗

Gender roles and HIV sexual risk vulnerability of Roma (Gypsies) men and women in Bulgaria and Hungary: an ethnographic study.

Roma, the largest ethnic minority group in Central and Eastern Europe, have cultures that are traditional, often closed, and autonomous of majority populations. Roma communities are characterized by pervasive social health problems, widespread poverty, limited educational opportunities, and discrimination. Although some evidence suggests high levels of HIV sexual risk behaviour among Roma, little is known about the cultural and social context in which risk behaviour occurs. In-depth interviews were used to elicit detailed information about types of sexual partnerships and sexual risk behaviour practices occurring in them, use and perception of protection, knowledge and beliefs about AIDS and STDs, and sexual communication patterns in a sample of 42 men and women aged 18-52 living in Roma community settlements in Bulgaria and Hungary. Analysis of the interview data revealed that men have great sexual freedom before and during marriage, engage in a wide range of unprotected practices with primary and multiple outside partners, and have much more relationship power and control. In contrast, women are expected to maintain virginity before marriage and then sexual exclusivity to their husbands. Condom use is not normative and is mainly perceived as a form of contraception. Although awareness of AIDS was common, it was generally not perceived as a personal threat. Misconceptions about how HIV is transmitted are widespread, and women - in particular - had very little knowledge about STDs, HIV transmission, and protective steps. There is an urgent need for the development of HIV prevention programs culturally sensitive to Roma populations in Eastern Europe, where HIV rates are rapidly rising.

Adolescent↗

Detecting emerging diseases in farm animals through clinical observations.

Predicting emerging diseases is among the most difficult challenges facing researchers and health managers. We present available approaches and tools to detect emerging diseases in animals based on clinical observations of farm animals by veterinarians. Three information systems are described and discussed: Veterinary Practitioner Aided Disease Surveillance in New Zealand, the Rapid Syndrome Validation Project-Animal in the United States, and "émergences" in France. These systems are based on syndromic surveillance with the notification of every case or of specific clinical syndromes or on the notification of atypical clinical cases. Data are entered by field veterinarians into forms available through Internet-accessible devices. Beyond challenges of implementing new information systems, minimizing economic and health effects from emerging diseases in animals requires strong synergies across a group of field partners, in research, and in international animal and public health customs and practices.

Animals↗

Leading through partnering: from bedside to community.

Partnering as a means of leading requires a particular focus and has particular characteristics. It is unrealistic to think that every person that participates in a partnership would have honed the skills to provide guidance, strength, and support for the process. It is not likely that every partner understands the collaborative process well enough to engage all partners with tact, openness, fairness, and critical, but respectful, reflection. The characteristics depicted in the Leading Through Partnering dome reflect those leaders who have integrated partnering into a coherent framework of action. Stern (2003), in describing her grounded theory research on "attentive partnering" among colleagues, determined that conditions for partnering seem to require the presence of "determined, persuasive leaders who foster growth-enhancing collegial relationships" (pg. 271). The concept of partnering continues to take hold in many forms. Leading Through Partnering as a variant form, whether occurring on a small scale at the bedside or a large scale in the community, is likely to be more than just a passing trend.

Communication↗

Evaluation of the HIV risk reduction intervention for women entering inpatient substance abuse treatment.

OBJECTIVES: Interventions to lower HIV risk behavior among drug users have concentrated on reduction of high risk injection practices. Less attention has been directed to non-injecting drug users and drug-involved women. Female non-injecting drug users (e.g., women who abuse alcohol or crack cocaine) are also at substantial risk for sexual transmission of HIV due to multiple partners, partners who self-inject and share needles, exchange of sex for drugs, coerced sex, high rates of sexually transmitted diseases, and low rates of condom use. This study compared the effectiveness of an educational intervention (EC) against the behavior skills training intervention (BST) in reducing sexual risk behavior among women (N = 117) court-ordered into inpatient drug treatment. METHODS: Participants were assessed at baseline, post intervention, and 2 months after discharge from the drug treatment facility. RESULTS: Women in both conditions reported high rates of sexual risk behavior prior to the intervention. Women in both conditions had more positive attitudes toward HIV prevention and reported greater partner agreement with condom use at the post intervention assessment. However, these changes were not maintained at follow-up for women in the EC condition, whereas women in BST continued to show improvement post discharge. Women in the BST condition showed marked, while women in EC showed little improvement in communication skills and no improvement in condom application skill. At follow-up, women in both conditions had reduced drug use and drug-related high risk sex activities. BST women had increased their condom use while women in EC evidenced a decrease. Condom use increased from 35.7% to 49.5% of vaginal intercourse occasions for BST women and decreased from 28.8% to 15.8% for women in EC. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest a brief skills training intervention embedded in drug treatment programs can reduce sexual risk for HIV-infection after discharge.

Adult↗

Preventing Emerging Infectious Diseases: A Strategy for the 21st Century. Overview of the Updated CDC plan.

Societal, technological, and environmental factors continue to have a dramatic effect on infectious diseases worldwide, facilitating the emergence of new diseases and the reemergence of old ones, sometimes in drug-resistant forms. Modern demographic and ecologic conditions that favor the spread of infectious diseases include rapid population growth; increasing poverty and urban migration; more frequent movement across international boundaries by tourists, workers, immigrants, and refugees; alterations in the habitats of animals and arthropods that transmit disease; increasing numbers of persons with impaired host defenses; and changes in the way that food is processed and distributed. Several recent health events underscore the need for a public health system ready to address whatever disease problems that might arise. For example, in 1997, an avian strain of influenza that had never before infected humans began to kill previously healthy persons in Hong Kong, and strains of Sta phylococcus aureus with diminished susceptibility to the antibiotic vancomycin were reported in Japan and the United States. In addition, researchers recently discovered that a strain of the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) had been infecting humans for at least 20 years before AIDS emerged as a worldwide epidemic. Preventing Emerging Infectious Diseases: A Strategy for the 21st Century describes CDC's plan to combat today's infectious diseases and prevent those of tomorrow. It represents the second phase of the effort launched in 1994 with the publication of CDC's Addressing Emerging Infectious Disease Threats: A Prevention Strategy for the United States. This overview of the updated plan outlines specific objectives under four major goals: a) surveillance and response, b) applied research, c) infrastructure and training, and d) prevention and control. Achieving these objectives will enhance understanding of infectious diseases and bolster their detection, control, and prevention. The plan also targets nine categories of problems that cause human suffering and place a burden on society. The aim of this plan is to build a stronger, more flexible U.S. public health system that is well-prepared to respond to known disease problems, as well as to address the unexpected, whether it be an influenza pandemic, a disease caused by an unknown organism, or a bioterrorist attack. The implementation of this plan will require the dedicated efforts of many partners, including state and local health departments, other federal agencies, professional societies, universities, research institutes, health-care providers and organizations, the World Health Organization, and many other domestic and international organizations and groups.

Communicable Disease Control↗

Participatory diagramming as a means to improve communication about sex in rural Zimbabwe: a pilot study.

It is increasingly recognised that unequal gender relations and poor communication between men and women about sexual matters, play a central role in the rapid transmission of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Analysis of how communication might practically be improved remains a critical area for investigation however. To this end a pilot study, conducted in January 1998 involving two all-female focus groups in two rural areas of Zimbabwe, explored the possibility of using 'participatory' methods and visual diagramming as a means to facilitate rural people's communication about issues of sexual health. While still provisional, the results hold considerable interest for future HIV/AIDS work in the region. As a research tool, diagramming provides richer, more nuanced data about sexual activity than wholly discursive focus groups. However, the technique also holds considerable potential for action research and positive interventions that seek to facilitate couples' more open communication and safer sexual decision making. The pilot established both that rural women were comfortable utilising the techniques and that they were prepared to use them to discuss the detail of their sex lives. The next and vital step, as participants themselves suggested, is to involve men in similar self-analytical activities.

Adult↗

Factors associated with self-reported HIV testing among men in Uganda.

This study examined rates and predictors of self-reported HIV testing and willingness to test among married men aged 15-59 in Uganda. The data are nationally representative and drawn from the 2000-01 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey. The results of multiple regression analyses indicate that knowledge about AIDS, a history of paying for sex, spousal communication about HIV prevention, secondary or higher education, household wealth, and neighbourhood knowledge of a test site are associated with an increased likelihood of HIV testing. The higher the frequency of injection use in the past 3 months and the greater the level of interest in learning how to help one's partner have a safe pregnancy, the higher was the likelihood of willingness to test for HIV. Findings suggest that voluntary counselling and testing programmes need to target older married men aged 30-59 and expand services to the Northern region, where previously untested men indicated significantly higher desires of HIV testing.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗

An investigation of unmet intimacy needs in marital relationships.

In this investigation we examined partners' responses to unmet intimacy needs in hopes of better understanding how these responses may affect intimacy satisfaction and overall relationship satisfaction. Eighty-four married couples, plus four additional husbands and 12 additional wives, were recruited from the community and completed measures of relationship satisfaction, intimacy need satisfaction, and attributional and communication responses to unmet intimacy needs. Consistent with the proposed mediational model, less negative attributional and communication responses to unmet intimacy needs were found to be beneficial for overall intimacy satisfaction and relationship satisfaction. In addition, more positive communication responses contributed to greater intimacy satisfaction. Limitations and clinical implications of the current study and directions for future work are discussed.

Adult↗