Antenatal HIV screening and treatment in South Africa: social norms and policy options.
South Africa has one of the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS in the world, with mother-to-child transmission being an important route for spread of the infection. For years, AIDS scientists and activists locally and internationally have been working desperately for the people of South Africa to have access to treatment for HIV and AIDS. Policymakers in South Africa have consistently maintained that HIV infection is not responsible for AIDS, thus creating the biggest obstacle to implementation of appropriate prevention and therapeutic programmes, including antiretroviral therapy for HIV positive persons. Only recently, people within the government and ruling party, defying previous policy, have agreed that antiretroviral drugs should be given to pregnant women with HIV. The social fabric of South African society is markedly different from that of Western countries. In this paper, the author analyses the likely implications of antenatal testing and treatment of pregnant women in South Africa, in light of the socio-economic and cultural status of women in that society.
Hasnain
Maemoona
M
Department of Family Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612-7309, USA. memoona@uic.edu
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000635:transmission; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008119:Lobbying; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012945:Social Values / Q000208:ethnology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014933:Women's Rights
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents