**8. References**

132 Social and Psychological Aspects of HIV/AIDS and Their Ramifications

The study indicated that majority of the respondents are between the ages of 21-40 years. This may be due to the fact that the age group is more actively engaged in risk behaviours. The finding also showed that the majority of respondents are females. Presumably, this could be as a result of their exposure to high risk sexual activities such as polygamy, circumcision, early

The findings also indicated the highest needs of the respondents as physiological needs which include food, water and air. The finding could be as a result of level of poverty in Nigeria. The least needs as identified by the respondents are aesthetic needs. This is in line with theoretical proposition of Maslow which proposed physiological needs as the most

The study also showed spiritual support as the most accessed by the respondents. This finding may be due to the fact that many Nigerians are religious as more than 90% of Nigerians are either Muslims or Christians. Psychological/counselling and financial supports are the least accessed. The economic recession in Nigeria may be responsible for the low level of financial support available to the respondents while the non-provision of professional counselling services in many Nigerian health centres may be a reason for the low level of psychological/counselling support. The implications of these findings are that there is the need to encourage aesthetic and esteem values among PLWHA. In addition, it is also essential to improve provision of social, psychological/counselling and financial supports to the PLWHA. The supportive role of religious organizations as well as peer groups in the use of antiretroviral (HAART) has been highlighted by previous studies in this environment (Jimoh et al, 2008). Similarly, Yahaya (2010) expressed the need for provision of counselling service to HIV/AIDS patients and stressed that with counselling support,

The study gave an insight into the psychosocial needs and support services accessed by HIV/AIDS patients of the University at Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. It revealed that HIV/AIDS patients at the hospital are facing some challenges in terms of meeting their psychosocial needs and accessing support services. The areas that need attention include esteem and aesthetic needs and provision of psychological/counselling and financial supports. There is no doubt that if the needs of the PLWHA are met, they would be better

Based on the findings of the study the following recommendations are considered relevant: a. Health counsellors should provide counselling services to the PLWHA and develop

b. Health counsellors should encourage PLWHA to accept their conditions, identify their

c. Counsellors and other health providers should collaborate and bring support

needs and acquire relevant skills in order to develop at t equal level with the other

services to the door steps of the PLWHA. This is necessary in areas of social and

marriages of young girls, and lack of power to insist on use of condoms during sex.

PLWHA would be able to face the challenges of HIV/AIDS.

equipped to adjust and contribute to the development of the society.

instruments to identify their psychosocial needs.

members of the community.

financial supports.

**5. Discussion** 

important.

**6. Conclusion** 

**7. Recommendations** 


http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/edewor.htm


**8** 

*U.S.A* 

**Triple Challenges of Psychosocial Factors,** 

**Behaviors in People Living with HIV/AIDS** 

*Center for Computational Epidemiology, Bioinformatics and Risk Analysis (CCEBRA), College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health (CVMNAH), Tuskegee* 

Thirty years ago, the first cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) garnered the world's attention. Since then, the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), their families, communities, and the society as a whole are all affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Not only does HIV/AIDS elicit detrimental physical manifestations but psychosocial health is affected negatively as well in PLWHA. Since the discovery of the Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) in the mid-nineties, PLWHA have overcome the fear of what previously was a certain death sentence. Their life expectancy, as a result of HAART, is now approaching that of the general population (The Antiretroviral Therapy Cohort Collaboration, 2008). However, many PLWHA confront a broad range of challenges that are multiple and chronic in nature. These challenges may yield adverse psychosocial consequences that can lead, eventually, to

The discovery that one is infected with the HIV is associated with reduced psychosocial health in China, the United States (U.S), and South Africa (Freeman et al., 2007; Sun, 2007; Vanable, 2006). Studies show that PLWHA have complicated histories including substance abuse, mental illness, mood disorders, and social stigma (Stoskopf, 2004; Pence, 2007a; Whetten, 2006). These negative experiences have been seen across a wide range of populations including adult men and women (Kelly, 1993), men who have sex with men (MSM) (Martin, 1998, Strathdee, 1998), HIV-positive adults (Kelly, 1993), minority women (Champion, 2002), substance users (Camacho, 1996), gay and bisexual men (Rogers, 2003), adolescents, and young adults (Ramrakha, 2000). Furthermore, these negative experiences have been associated with psychosocial disorders which in turn can contribute to increased substance abuse and HIV/AIDS-risky behaviors among PLWHA (Pence, 2007b; Leserman, 2003; Tucker, 2003). Similarly, substance abuse can contribute to numerous problems for PLWHA. For example, alcohol abuse can modify liver drug metabolism, thus complicating treatment for patients with HIV/AIDS hepatitis C virus co-infection as alcohol may

substance abuse and other HIV/AIDS-risky behaviors.

**1. Introduction** 

**Substance Abuse, and HIV/AIDS Risky** 

Gemechu B. Gerbi, Tsegaye Habtemariam, Berhanu Tameru,

David Nganwa, Vinaida Robnett, and Sibyl K. Bowie

*University, Tuskegee, Alabama,* 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s\_hierarchy\_of\_needs

