Africa culture has been seen as an impediment to the effort of prevention of HIV epidemic. In an Africa setting sexual discussion are unheard off because it is regarded as disrespect to the system. With these matters being important in the HIV prevention, care and support, the stigma steal reign in most Africa culture. Other methods which lead to HIV/Aids transmission have been dealt with in Africa but the war still remains elusive. According to (Airhihenbuwa, Makinwa & Obiegan 2000) suggest that culture should be incorporated in the prevention.
The HIV stigma is more prevalent in Africa setting with sex being considered a strong taboo. This is held in high esteem moral value, where the victims are judged by the virtue of their situation. Discrimination has made them to be considered as outcast according to (Piot 2000), in western countries citizens of African descent do also suffer their share of retrogression cultural superiority in the case study of poor black America. The most vulnerable group include the women who do not have a say in the whole thing of sex, they do not have an influence on their male counterparts on issues such the use of contraceptives.
PEN-model is hope to this entire process and has proven with evidence in cancer and cardiovascular complications interventions. The model has been used to address the use of female condoms in South Africa according to (Webster, 2003). The model addresses three main areas among them are the relationships and expectations, cultural identity and lastly cultural empowerment. Relationship and expectations entails social aspects of culture where Africa has a feeling that AIDs is only an African problem and are aware that AIDs is caused by HIV, Which should be incorporated in decision making process as individuals or as a community. Resources allocation has being another drawback where African lack finance to purchase drug to the already infected persons. The culture also lack supportive element of the sick especially for the home based care with no autonomy to the widow over the powers of the society to wife inheritance issue.
Culture empowerment are values which help to improve the good health behaviors with this regard South Africa have experienced racism which barred them from crumbing the social economic ladder and also the of women in sexuality decision making. There is rampant discrimination by families, friends, at work places, in education sectors, churches and mosques and in health care sector where issue such as securing a health insurance policy become a big problem.(UNAIDs 20002b). The African culture lacks tools to implement adoption of children orphaned by HIV/AIDs pandemic.
African still believes in myth which contradicts the facts about HIV/AIDs which have being considered as bad omen while other misconnecting it to witchcraft. This ignorant have deterred the war against stigmatization. Responding to the menace has also been delayed by lack of appreciation of the already traditional available treatment and the accessibility to these treatments which have proved to be effective and their efficacy giving positive results. On the other hand religious groups and leaders continue to keep quite on the matters of stigma according to (Aggleton & Parker 2002). Testing is one method of intervention with African government not providing budget allocutions for ARV drugs citizens remain adamant on this issue, because they feel that testing have no use bearing in mind lack of accessibility to ARV drugs for those who turn up positive.
Home base care is one important way of responding to HIV with African government offering very little to it. Precaution device such as gloves and diaper are hand to come by which may put the life of the care giver to risks of infection and also control of other diseases which affect the immune comprised individual for example tuberculosis. Currently available literature materials do not supporting relationship with positive sexual approach as cultural practice. Personal behaviors, family and cultural practices should be amalgamated.
References
Aggleton p and Parker.p (2002) HIV/AIDS-related Stigma and Discrimination:A Conceptual Framework and an Agenda for Action
Airhihenbuwa, C O and Webster J DeWitt (2004) Culture and African contexts of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support
Airhihenbuwa, C.O., Makinwa B. & Obregon, R. (2000).Toward a new communications framework for HIV/AIDS. Journal of Health Communication, 5(supplement), 101-111.
Pan American Health Organization, (2003) Understanding and responding to HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination in the health sector retrieved on 19th July 2010 from http://www.paho.org/English/AD/FCH/AI/stigma.htm.
UNAIDS (2002b). Report on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Geneva: UNAIDS retrieved on 18 July 2010 from http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/HIVData/EpiUpdate/EpiUpdArchive/Default.asp.