INEQUALITIES IN HIV/AIDS SCREENING AND PREVENTION

Abstract

Despite progress in the detection and treatment of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), major challenges remain in developing countries due to insufficient resources and infrastructure. The number of people living with HIV who do not know their serostatus has fallen worldwide. However, a number of existing obstacles stand in the way of better results. The socio-cultural context in Africa hampers knowledge and understanding of the disease, leading to stigmatizing attitudes, reluctance to undergo screening and poor access to treatment.
Inequalities also exist within the countries of the North, as in the case of the French West Indies, which benefit from a policy to combat HIV/AIDS, with results that fall short of those in mainland France. For this reason, we have chosen to compare the situation in the West Indies with that in Benin, in the context of African culture.
Our analysis takes stock of the issues and prospects linked to the accessibility and use of screening care in sub-Saharan Africa and the French Departments of America (DFA).In both cases, fear of the disease, stigmatization, fear of a positive HIV test result and fear of disclosing the test result limit preventive and treatment actions for an effective fight against HIV.In sub-Saharan Africa, women are more likely to accept a screening test than men. Certain populations, including adolescents and homosexuals, are in a vulnerable position. The comparison reveals similar attitudes and suggests actions or recommendations in both countries that have produced results. Innovative strategies and specific programs must be implemented to turn the tide in the fight against the HIV epidemic.