STD/AIDS prevention in Portuguese-speaking Africa: a review of the recent literature in the social sciences and health.
The article reviews academic literature in the social sciences and health on the problems and challenges of STD/AIDS prevention in Portuguese-speaking African countries. Based on a bibliographic survey of the SciELO, PubMed, and Sociological Abstracts databases between 1997 and 2007, the research under review was organized into two groups, according to content. The first group of studies sought to understand STD/AIDS vulnerability among social groups by examining local cultural and socioeconomic factors as related to gender dynamics, sexuality, color/race, religion and health care. The second group encompassed critical assessments of shortcomings in the STD/AIDS educational messages delivered by governments and international agencies. Attention is called to the way in which the presence of traditional medicine systems and the occurrence of civil wars in the post-colonial period impact the STD/AIDS epidemic in the African countries under study.
Monteiro
Simone
S
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. msimone@ioc.fiocruz.br
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D001266:Atlantic Islands / Q000453:epidemiology; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006266:Health Education; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012067:Religion; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012942:Social Sciences; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014857:Warfare