HugAIDS (AbraçAIDS) – approaches to HIV / AIDS with the different age groups! – Brazil (IFMSA-Brazil)

Name of the activity: HugAIDS (AbraçAIDS) – approaches to HIV / AIDS with the different age groups!

Country/NMO: Brazil (IFMSA-Brazil)

Program: HIV/AIDS & Other STIs

Contact information: [email protected]

Type of the activity: Campaign

General description:

HIV is a virus that infiltrates in a silent way in the organism that it infects, being able to present signs and symptoms only after 10 years of the primary infection, arriving at its state of AIDS. This is a disease that affects the normal functioning of the immune system of the individuals who acquire it, compromising both the fight against simple diseases and the heaviest infections. In addition, these people face great prejudice resulting from lack of information and lack of interest in getting to know the disease better and to what extent the risks can compromise the health of another person. In this, it fits the real reasons for the realization of the project in all its activities. Motivated by World AIDS Day, the main focus of the project is to raise awareness of the various groups and layers that make up society in order to expand, change and / or consolidate pre-established HIV and AIDS knowledge, minimize prejudice against the virus.It is sought, through simple daily attitudes such as a conversation, an arm, an image, a sentence, to show the real ways of transmitting the virus.

Focus area:

Prevention of all STIs or are specific STIs, Removing stigmatization and empowering people living with HIV, STI education or training for future health-care professions, STIs and HIV/AIDS political advocacy

Problem statement:

The infection by the HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) that causes AIDS, is a immune system deasese that leads to contagion and aggravation by opportunistic diseases, and is not curable.
Through ignorance and fear prevailing in previous decades, people were doomed to prejudice, culminating in the collapse of interpersonal relationships even within the family circle. According to the State Program of Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs) of the State Health Department of Pernambuco – Brazil, from 1983 to 2014, 21,990 cases of AIDS were recorded in Pernambuco, 14,249 of which were men and 7,741 of women.
Even with the positive advent of scientific studies on the subject, prognostics and preventions, there is still a worrying population sample denying the offer of equity for seropositive patients, underpinning the “now society” that devalues the existence of care human, as affirmed by the Brazilian writer and theologian Leonardo Boff.
Care reveals its importance even with small gestures, as a hug, this universal act has the capacity to comfort and strengthen individuals by the idea of union, being an undeniable therapeutic factor. Thus, it is understood that the plots of the socially excluded population, especially seropositive patients, cry out for a hug and for this to happen, it is possible to reintegrate the ethical aspects and break the current taboos, aiming at a better quality of life for the patients with the syndrome.

Target groups and beneficiaries:

Academics of Medicine and Nursing
Passers in Poster Display Activity
High School Students
Passers in Park Activity and “Marco Zero”
Focuses on people children, young people, adults and elderly people of all social classes

Objectives and indicators of success:

Main Objective

To raise the awareness of the population about HIV, both with regard to the biological aspect of the disease and its social aspect.

Especific Objective

1.To inform about the pathological mechanism of the disease, addressing forms of transmission, pathophysiological process and related signs and symptoms;

2.Problematize social stigmatization in relation to the virus carriers, in order to promote a greater inclusion of these individuals in society;

3. To address the issue of sexuality among the elderly, highlighting the increased incidence of sexually transmitted infections in this age group;

4. Educate about the importance of using condoms as well as the correct way to use them;

5. Clarify how the treatment of the disease works and show the perspective of prognosis for the patients who starts to the treatment;

6. Conduct a debate among health professionals and students about HIV in order to stimulate reflection on the subject.

Methodology:

The activities will be developed throughout the project as follows:
1 ° Activity:
Consists of a training of academics, with the participation of invited Infectologists of the Oswaldo Cruz University Hospital (HUOC). This activity focuses on the approach to HIV infection and the prejudice directed at people with the virus. In this activity, participants will be given an open questionnaire with questions that involve knowledge about HIV, AIDS and prejudice. The same questionnaire will be applied after the last day of project activity, probably being applied online. Thus, we intend to observe the evolution of those involved and, consequently, the impact of the action on this public.
2 ° Activity:
There will be a workshop to prepare the posters that will be exhibited in a future project activity, with the participation of trainers in the subject.
3 ° Activity:
It will address the exposition of red cards in forms of drops of blood and in each of them will be placed shocking sentences chosen and created by the organizers that aim to combat the prejudice. These drops will be displayed in the corridor of the University Hospital Oswaldo Cruz and will stay in that place for a few days. At the same time that the drops are exposed the organizers will approach people who circulate around the place asking if they know the reason for that activity, finishing the conversation with the delivery of a red ribbon clasp, symbol of the fight against AIDS. Through the questions initiated and registered by the volunteers will be possible to observe some of the impact of this activity.
4th Activity (at school):
In this activity, a multiple choice questionnaire will be applied that addresses basic knowledge about HIV and AIDS, the same questionnaire being applied before and after the action. This is intended to evaluate some of the evolution and impact generated by the project activity. In relation to the development of the activity, it will be divided into three moments, the first moment will be introductory on the difference between HIV and AIDS, the existing data related to the problem, using the dialogue and stimulating the questioning by the public. The second moment will address examples of celebrities who have had HIV or AIDS, some of them and the approach that AIDS is not restricted to a particular social group, will use photos of celebrities and phrases of them. The third moment will consist of a group dynamics, the winning group will win an award. At the outset condoms will be distributed that are in an unusable state along with the usable ones, such as scratched expiration date, punctured and torn packaging. Each group will be asked to separate these condoms and choose a person to argue why it can not be used. The second activity of the contest will be the transmission of parts from the “VIRAL” series of YouTube’s “Porta dos Fundos” channel that addresses truths and myths about HIV transmission. Each video will be uploaded and the group will assess the veracity of the content. The third activity will be a leading approach, as each group will elect someone to report that they were HIV positive, rather it will convey a passage from the “VIRAL” that uses this question.
5th Activity (Photographic Memorial):
It will be held in a public place in Recife, will reuse a few drops of the day of the Exhibition at HUOC and will be glued photos of deceased persons who were carrying HIV. The audience will be approached and later asked if they wish to glue a candle made of paper symbolizing respect for these people in life, at the end they will be given pins with red ribbons, exposing the meaning of that day and the importance of fighting the prejudice that kills today more than the disease itself. The theme of the day will be “Light a candle, erase a prejudice.” The impact of this action will be assessed by recording each approach and reception of the passers-by.
6th Activity (HIV / AIDS in the elderly):
A circle will be set up in which the Embrace Dynamics will be applied, to reflect on the importance of the reception and the clarification on the forms of transmission. Then a conversation will be held with an elderly woman with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. The approach to this activity will be seen through the application of a questionnaire before and after the action that addresses basic questions about HIV / AIDS in the elderly.
7 ° Activity:
With the Project shirt the organizers will raise awareness and inform about the transmission of HIV. At first you will be asked for a hug and then they will be questioned with the phrase contained on the back of the shirt (Even if I have AIDS?), Thus giving rise to a discussion about the subject. In the end will be distributed brooches with red ribbons symbolizing the fight against HIV and the prejudice coming from the disease. This activity counted on the participation of a HUOC employee who, on a voluntary basis, will transmit important concepts on the subject in a playful way. We’ll see the impact of the activity through the responses issued after reading the phrase contained on the back of the shirt.

Plans for evaluation:

The evaluations of the project will be taken as follows:
1 ° Activity:
In this activity, participants will be given an open questionnaire with questions that involve knowledge about HIV, AIDS and prejudice. The same questionnaire will be applied after the last day of project activity, probably being applied online. Thus, we intend to observe the evolution of those involved and, consequently, the impact of the action on this public.
2 ° Activity:
There will be a workshop to prepare the posters that will be exhibited in a future project activity, with the participation of trainers in the subject, where the evaluation will be taken.
3 ° Activity:
Through the questions initiated and registered by the volunteers will be possible to observe some of the impact of this activity.
4th Activity (at school):
In this activity, a multiple choice questionnaire will be applied that addresses basic knowledge about HIV and AIDS, the same questionnaire being applied before and after the action. This is intended to evaluate some of the evolution and impact generated by the project activity.
5th Activity (Photographic Memorial):
The impact of this action will be assessed by recording each approach and reception of the passers-by.
6th Activity (HIV / AIDS in the elderly):
The approach to this activity will be seen through the application of a questionnaire before and after the action that addresses basic questions about HIV / AIDS in the elderly.
7 ° Activity:
We’ll will see the impact of the activity through the responses issued after reading the phrase contained on the back of the shirt.