Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS, with Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda accounting for 48% of new infections. A systematic review of the HIV burden among women engaged in sex work (WESW) in 50 low- and middle-income countries found that they had increased odds of HIV infection relative to the general female population. Social structural factors, such as the sex work environment, violence, stigma, cultural issues, and criminalization of sex work are critical in shaping sexually transmitted infection (STI)/HIV risks among WESW and their clients in Uganda. Poverty is the most commonly cited reason for involvement in sex work in SSA. Against this backdrop, this study protocol describes a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that tests the impact of adding economic empowerment to traditional HIV risk reduction (HIVRR) to reduce new incidence of STIs and HIV among WESW in Rakai and the greater Masaka regions in Uganda.
Stigma and discrimination
Resource
August 29, 2019
Blog
August 27, 2019
“We know that life-changing HIV prevention solutions are available, but it’s critical to think strategically about how an innovation like PrEP is meaningful to our priority users.
Resource
August 27, 2019
Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a new HIV prevention method that offers more than 90 percent protection when taken correctly.
Resource
August 26, 2019
Background: Women account for 56% of new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa. Multipurpose Prevention Technologies (MPTs) are promising interventions because they combine HIV prevention with a less stigmatizing indication, such as pregnancy.
Resource
July 30, 2019
The Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV programme in Zimbabwe has had remarkable success despite the country's economic challenges. The aim of this study was to explore the challenges faced by breastfeeding mothers on the PMTCT programme.
Blog
June 26, 2019
South Africa’s health data demonstrate that young men are less likely to test for HIV and less likely to start treatment when diagnosed as HIV-positive. Young men living with HIV often transmit the virus to younger female partners, contributing to an inter-generational cycle of transmission.
Blog
June 20, 2019
At the 9th South African AIDS Conference (SA AIDS 2019), I can only reflect on the work we have done over the years in the fight against HIV. So many inspiring scientists, community representatives and activists in the room working to turn the tide on this virus. ‘Unprecedented innovation and technologies’ was a fitting theme for this year’s biennial conference: 19 years on from the first SA AIDS Conference, South Africa has become a world leader in the work to end AIDS.
News
June 11, 2019
Today’s judgement by the Gaborone High Court to decriminalize consensual same sex relations is a victory in the battle for equality and freedom to love whoever you choose, Amnesty International said as it called on other African countries to follow Botswana’s inspiring example.
Resource
May 24, 2019
Self-stigma, also known as internalised stigma, is a global public health threat because it keeps people from accessing HIV and other health services. By hampering HIV testing, treatment and prevention, self-stigma can compromise the sustainability of health interventions and have serious epidemiological consequences. This review synthesised existing evidence of interventions aiming to reduce self-stigma experienced by people living with HIV and key populations affected by HIV in low-income and middle-income countries.
Resource
May 24, 2019
Stigma remains one of the biggest barriers preventing people living with HIV from accessing healthcare. The People Living with HIV Stigma Index was first launched in 2008. Ten years on, it was replaced by and updated and strengthened Stigma Index 2.0.
