Tessie Soi, Senior Medical Social Worker at the Port Moresby General Hospital, Papua New Guinea, discusses the HIV/AIDS counseling and home care services given to HIV/AIDS patients and their families. Recounting her first experience with an HIV-positive patient in 1989, she acknowledged the importance of love, care, support and understanding when tending to patients. The Social Work Department offers pre- and post-test follow up and counseling, as well as home visits to those patients too weak to come to the hospital. Concentrating on patients who are suspected to be HIV-positive, the department prepares the patient for the final diagnosis of the illness. It is noted that preparing them can prolong their lives. Over the years, the department conducted funding and awareness campaigns, collaborations, as well as training activities for the improvement of health care services. Future plans of the department prioritize the care of people living with HIV/AIDS that are admitted to the wards of the hospital.
This paper is based on the experience of the author who worked among the youth in Fiji, although the issues presented in the paper relate to all youth in the Pacific. Young people face many problems at home, in school, in the community and nationally. In an interview with rural youth, majority reported of never receiving sex education from their parents and most often youth learn about sex and sexuality from other sources. On the other hand, family life education taught in secondary schools covers only simple facts and does not cover sexuality or sex. To solve this problem, the following strategies are suggested: parents must make sure that they are well informed about sexual health and must take the responsibility of answering fully and accurately the questions of their youngsters; religious groups should also inform young adults about sexual responsibility, and teachers must be trained in sexual education to impart accurate information to the students. In addition to the strategies already mentioned, it is important to recognize the efforts of grass root level organizations that voluntarily helped.
This paper discusses the gender dynamics of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS based on the relationship between gender violence, reproductive health, sexuality, STD and HIV/AIDS. This approach highlights AIDS as an increasingly female concern, a consequence of the social makeup of female and male sexuality, and the result of inequalities that characterizes many heterosexual relationships. Gender violence is considered as the most intimate enemy among most women with an extremely high indirect cost to development. Not only that, it also causes more death and disability among women aged 14-44 years, having greater risk from their husbands, fathers, and neighbors or colleagues. Moreover, the link between gender violence and HIV/AIDS and STD can be observed through the rising incidence of these infections among women particularly during unprotected vaginal intercourse. Also, these women often bear the pain and discomfort associated with STD because of social constraints. The study calls for further research into behavior change interventions that address gender dynamics to prevent the fatal intimacy of women's vulnerability to STD and HIV, the intimate enemy of gender violence and the fatal encounter with AIDS. Lastly, the paper includes information about the work of the Pacific Women's Resource Bureau and its pioneering initiative on the Pacific multi-site study on violence against women.
This paper narrates the experiences and the role that was played by Colleen Perez, an HIV-infected woman discussing prevention of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted disease. In recounting her life story, she confessed to the audience that she is a 39-year-old HIV positive woman from the Western Pacific Island of Guam. Stricken with the virus, she felt alone and scared, desperately wanting to talk to other women that were HIV positive. After a year, she attended the first regional Asia/Pacific conference for women living with HIV/AIDS in Manila. At the conference she became the first HIV-positive Pacific Islander, representing all positive islanders as a member of the Asia Pacific Council of AIDS Service Organizations. She became active in programs, meetings and events that were AIDS related, specifically comic prevention magazine dissemination and the use of condoms. In her experience in the Northern Marianas, she learned that the older people needed to acknowledge the importance of HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaigns for the benefit of the youth.
This article traces the experience of the first 2 years of managing the Solidarite SIDA toll-free telephone hotline service, including the services offered, the training needed for those answering the calls, statistics on those using the service, and the types of questions asked. SIDA was established in May 1996 as a support network. The goals of Solidarite SIDA have been encouraging contacts and the exchange of information; defending and promoting the rights and dignity of the people living with HIV and AIDS, their families, and friends; and sharing experiences with official organizations and other associations. The SOS AIDS telephone hotline was opened on December 1, 1996, to provide a sympathetic ear and to give information, advice and moral support to callers and to document the problems. Overall, it is noted that majority who utilize the services are young Melanesians who require information most often related to HIV transmission and its preventative measures. It is also indicated that the free phone is a source of advice and support with regard to worries connected to sexuality. In view of this, more advertising is necessary and documentation of calls should be continued in order to provide statistics to official institutions and other associations who work in HIV and AIDS. The expansion of the program is projected.
