HIV/AIDS and disability in Southern Africa: a review of relevant literature

Abstract

Purpose. HIV/AIDS has grown to become the biggest epidemic in modern history. Southern Africa is at the epicentre of the global epidemic, with just of a third of the world's HIV-positive population living here. It is known that HIV/AIDS affect vulnerable population groups. It is surprising then, that persons with disabilities, one of the world's most vulnerable population groups, particularly in southern Africa, have been largely overlooked with regards to HIV/AIDS. This review sought to establish the state of the knowledge at present. Method. This article reports on findings of a literature review conducted as an initial step in a research project currently underway in South Africa. This article focuses on HIV/AIDS as it affects persons with disabilities in southern Africa, as it is in this region that the majority of people living with HIV live. However, as fewer studies exist that have as its focus southern Africa (particularly looking at HIV/AIDS and persons with disabilities), relevant articles from the international literature were used as indications of what we may find through future research also in the southern African countries. Given the paucity of published literature dealing with HIV/AIDS and persons with disabilities, the review looked at various risk factors associated with HIV infection, and how it affects persons with disabilities. Results. Findings from the literature review suggest that persons with disabilities, particularly in southern Africa, are at significant risk for HIV infection. Conclusions. There is an urgent need for more research on HIV/AIDs and sexuality among persons with disabilities in Africa.

Challenges to providing HIV prevention education to youth with disabilities in South Africa

“…general HIV prevention campaigns [1][2][3]. This article reports on findings from a study exploring challenges to providing HIV prevention education to youth with disabilities in South Africa.…”

Globalising accessibility: drawing on the experiences of developed countries to enable the participation of disabled people in Zambia

“…Limited understanding of disability impacts on societal attitudes, and this in turn influences what disabled people can and cannot do with their lives as reported in other studies (Rohleder et al 2009;Smith et al 2004;Yeo and Moore 2003). Strategies, such as dissemination of information on disability issues, are essential in implementation and enforcement systems.…”

The Shaping of Sexuality in Children with Disabilities: A Q Methodological Study

“…In addition, the recognition of sexual abuse and violations of the reproductive rights of people with disabilities [3] have necessitated a closer examination of the way in which sexuality is configured within oppressive practices relating to disability. In the South African context, concerns around HIV/AIDS have led to the acknowledgement that the silence around the sexuality of people with disabilities has the potential to exclude them from health initiatives around HIV, possibly resulting in a heightened vulnerability to the virus [4,5]. While there have been numerous studies on the sexuality of adults with disabilities [2,3,6,7] there has been less examination of the development of sexuality in children with disabilities [8,9].…”