Diffusion of innovations theory and work-site AIDS programs

Four case studies of the adoption of work-site AIDS programs are investigated, two of which were modifications of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Business Responds to AIDS (BRTA) program. AIDS work-site programs were mainly initiated by the four study companies as a result of the efforts of a champion (defined as an individual who gains attention and resources for an issue in a system) or the occurrence of a tragic event, such as a company employee contracting AIDS. The BRTA program is an innovation that has not yet reached critical mass, which is the point after which further rates of adoption occur rapidly in a self-sustaining process.     

Discourse and adoption of innovations: a study of HIV/AIDS treatments

This article, based on a longitudinal case study, investigates the development, testing, and adoption of innovations in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Findings indicate that distinguishing between "evidence production" and "adoption" can be difficult because the adoption of innovations is a negotiated outcome and the nature and role of evidence are not given, stable and exogenous to the adoption process. This means that changes to the distribution of discursive legitimacy and credibility in an adopting system can change evidence production and evaluation, and hence patterns of adoption of innovations.     

HIV/AIDS and blindness

Nearly 34 million people are currently living with HIV/AIDS: ocular complications are common, affecting 50% to 75% of all such patients at some point during the course of their illness. Cytomegalovirus retinitis is by far the most frequent cause of vision loss in patients with AIDS. Although the prevalence of cytomegalovirus retinitis is decreasing in industrialized countries because of the widespread availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy, between 10% and 20% of HIV-infected patients worldwide can be expected to lose vision in one or both eyes as a result of ocular cytomegalovirus infection. Less frequent but important causes of bilateral vision loss in patients with HIV/AIDS include varicella zoster virus and herpes simplex virus retinitis, HIV-related ischaemic microvasculopathy, ocular syphilis, ocular tuberculosis, cryptococcal meningitis, and ocular toxic or allergic drug reactions. At present, most patients with HIV/AIDS in developing countries who lose their vision have a very limited life expectancy. As antiretroviral therapy makes its way to these countries, however, both life expectancy and the prevalence of blindness related to HIV/AIDS can be expected to increase dramatically.     

营养与艾滋病防治

自1981年全球首次报道艾滋病（AIDS）后,已有2500万人死于AIDS。HIV／AIDS正在成为历史上最具破坏性的流行病之一。根据世界卫生组织（WHO）报告,2005年全球有4030万人感染艾滋病病毒（HIV）,其中2005年新感染病例490万。     

HIV/AIDS and women

Women are the fastest growing segment of people with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), yet they often receive this diagnosis when the disease is in its advanced stages. New therapies have caused human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to become a chronic and treatable disease for many of those afflicted. Primary care providers must be cognizant of the initial symptoms to facilitate early diagnosis and prompt treatment for women with HIV. Early signs of HIV in women are subtle. Providers must consider a diagnosis of HIV in women who present with vaginal infections, abnormal pap smears, or sexually transmitted diseases that are unusually severe, recurrent, and resistant to treatment efforts. These signs and symptoms, along with a corroborating history, may be early clues to HIV. Primary care providers, in conjunction with HIV specialists, must strive to decrease the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of the disease in women.     

HIV/AIDS Reviews

Literature in Brief

HIV/AIDS Reviews     

微量元素/营养素与HIV/AIDS

众多证据表明微量营养素缺乏可严重影响免疫功能.HIV病人甚至无症状患者中微量营养素缺乏现象普遍存在,而对微量营养素缺乏的纠正可影响疾病的症状和表现.本文对锌、硒、镁、钙以及维生素A、B、C、D、E缺乏对HIV症状和疾病进程的关系作一综述,探讨了这些微量营养素作用的可能机制.     

艾滋病与妇女健康

分析艾滋病对妇女预期寿命造成的影响,指出艾滋病其产生原因和成为一些国家主要疾病负担来源及社会经济发展的主要障碍之一,同时也论证了社会和经济等因素是目前造成女性艾滋病感染快速增长的重要原因。     

Social enquiry and HIV/AIDS

Nearly a decade and a half into the AIDS epidemic, there are reasons for cautious optimism, both in relation to prevention and care, and with respect to the capacity of social enquiry to make a meaningful contribution to the development of programmes and interventions. This paper offers a critical review of some of the ways in which social enquiry has contributed to a better understanding of the epidemic and its dynamics, and has informed prevention efforts. Social science research is reviewed at three levels: the individual, the dyad and the community. The focus is on studies conducted in Europe and North America concerning the sexual transmission of HIV. Lacunae and priorities for future research are identified at each level. The review concludes with reflections on the relationship between social enquiry on HIV/AIDS and that in other health fields, and on personal involvement and alliances in HIV-related social enquiry.