Zwi AB; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 1991 Jun 16-21; 7: 419 (abstract no. M.D.4116).
North East Thames Regional Health Authority and Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, London, England
Relatively little attention has been focused on the political, social and economic factors related to the transmission of HIV disease. 'High risk situations' are circumstances in which societies are disrupted and in which marginalised groups have little control over their immediate social environment. This paper describes the nature of 'high risk situations' and why their identification may assist the control of HIV disease. The variety of 'high risk situations' include areas of rapid peri-urban settlement, population relocation, military conflict, migrant labour and poverty: all of these present opportunities for increased transmission of HIV infection. The factors which play some part in transmission include an increase in risk-taking behaviours, decreased access to health and social services, and limitations in access to prevention-oriented messages and services. Specifically defining such contexts as 'high risk situations' will help emphasise the source of the problem: ills within society that play some part in the transmission of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. Shifting the focus from individuals to the society will assist in avoiding victim-blaming, defining necessary areas of research, helping determine priorities for prevention and intervention initiatives and acknowledging the social determinants of HIV disease.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Demography
- Emotions
- HIV Infections
- Health
- Health Education
- Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
- Poverty
- Research
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- education
- prevention & control
- transmission
Other ID:
UI: 102183873
From Meeting Abstracts