No abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa and Cameroon in particular are experiencing a persistence and consistency in the incidence rates in chronic sexual infections such as HIV and HBV. The prevalence rates stands between 8-10% for HBV and 4.3% for HIV in the general population. Surveys on therapeutic results show more challenges in the management of HIV than HBV. This disparity is due to the differences in perceptions and representations, although similar in pathogenic forms, modes of transmission and chronicity. A call to compare these differences that creates fear, shame and guilt towards HIV compared to HBV, thus, preventing many patients from disclosing their HIV statuses and exposing uninfected partners. A health education system that embraces health beliefs highly needed to demystify the mystery around HIV. This study explains the reasons for negative perceptions with stigma resulting to therapeutic challenges in the management process. A qualitative study that uses in-depth interviews and participant observations on a sample population of about 250 patients undergoing therapeutic education sessions, collected data, analyzed and interpreted using the content analyzes model. Findings show that, negative perceptions towards HIV are the cause of therapeutic challenges. Need to integrate socio-cultural realities in strategies to demystify this prejudice around HIV.

The emergence of chronic STIs in Africa has been a nightmare to medical and social scientists, making infected persons to show differences in clinical, therapeutic and social histories. Medical history shows that HIV/AIDS and HBV are the only chronic STIs in the world for now. This study presents social modifications within this community as persons infected with HIV/AIDS and HBV live their experiences in the context of Cameroon. It presents the traumatic experiences of these infections on the social lives of the infected and affected persons with their entourage. A contribution enriches the current literature on the social history of chronic STIs in Africa. A qualitative study that used the techniques of in-depth interviews, FGD and participant observations to collect data from a sample population of 108 persons living with HIV/AIDS, HIV/HBV co-infections, and HBV presenting therapeutic complications in the UTHY Cameroon. A FGD carried out with patients who are members of social networks and associations. Data analyzed and interpreted using a content analysis and the Social Dynamic Analysis of George Balandier. Persons living with HIV/AIDS have life-experiences that are quite traumatizing and differ from those with HBV. From the 80s till date, HIV patients lived a life of shame, fear, rejection and stigmatization causing a good number of suicidal deaths. This has caused many patients to die due to the refusal to seek medical care. Ignorance around HBV makes it stigma-free and more deadly as compare to the former. Coping strategies developed by these patients result in social modifications of this community.