Perceptions and Therapeutic Challenges in the Management of Chronic STIs in Africa: Comparing HIV and Hepatitis B in the University Teaching Hospital Yaounde, Cameroon

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.