Seroprevalence of HHV-8 has been studied in Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad, Jamaica and the USA, in both healthy individuals and those infected with HIV. Seroprevalence was found to be low in these countries in both the healthy and the HIV-infected populations. This correlates with the fact that hardly any AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma has been reported in these countries. In contrast, the African countries of Ghana, Uganda and Zambia showed high seroprevalences in both healthy and HIV-infected populations. This suggests that human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8) may be either a recently introduced virus or one that has extremely low infectivity. Nasopharyngeal and oral carcinoma patients from Malaysia, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka who have very high EBV titres show that only 3/82 (3.7%) have antibody to HHV-8, demonstrating that there is little, if any, cross-reactivity between antibodies to these two gamma viruses. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaign

The Deep South has experienced disproportionately high HIV diagnosis and death rates compared to other U.S. regions. Stigma experiences and perceptions are particularly high among individuals living with HIV in the Deep South and are consistently associated with negative health outcomes including poorer medication adherence. This study included a survey of 201 individuals living with HIV in the Deep South and examined the relationship between social support and internalized stigma with a focus on individuals who had recent experiences of verbal HIV stigma related to HIV. Study participants were recruited from HIV medical care clinics and community-based organizations. Over one-third of study participants reported experiencing verbal stigma related to HIV in the last 3 months such as being "insulted" because of their HIV status (25%). Internalized stigma, as measured by the HIV Stigma Scale, was also prevalent among study participants. Multivariate analyses identified that higher internalized stigma was predicted by recent verbal stigma experiences and social support was found to be a statistically significant modifier of the relationship of recent verbal stigma experiences and internalized stigma ( p < .01). These findings emphasize the critical need for effective interventions that build and enhance social support and address internalized HIV-related stigma among individuals living with HIV in the U.S. Deep South.

HIV-related stigma is pervasive in the U.S. South and has potential negative effects on health outcomes and emotional well-being, and may act as a barrier to HIV-related advocacy among people living with HIV (PLWH). This article reports on the preliminary outcomes associated with participation in an HIV advocacy training for PLWH, LEAD, that included education and skills building for reducing HIV-related stigma. Fifty-seven PLWH at four sites in the U.S. South participated in the retreat-style training and completed a survey measuring stigma and comfort engaging in advocacy prior to and after the worshop. Participation was associated with statistically significant reduction in internalized HIV stigma and increase in comfort with participation in advocacy; however, participants reported a need for ongoing training and support to further increase comfort with advocacy participation. Although more research is needed on the LEAD Workshop, it shows promise as an option for reducing HIV-related stigma among PLWH.

This investigation aimed to audit patient satisfaction with care at a dedicated dental clinic, using previously developed standards and criteria. A self-complete questionnaire was administered to a group of 161 patients assessing the dimensions of care availability, affective behaviour and technical competence. Comparisons with baseline showed a high but slightly decreased level of satisfaction with technical competence, a significantly higher level of satisfaction with the affective behaviour of the clinic staff but a continuing level of dissatisfaction with the availability of care. Respondents with AIDS reported higher levels of satisfaction for all 3 dimensions. Women were less satisfied with the availability of care. The results indicate the inter-related nature of the dimensions of technical competence and care availability. Satisfaction with care availability will only improve if initiatives beyond the clinic are introduced to increase the overall supply of dental services available to this population.

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