HIV and AIDS is a major health problem with a wide ranging impact on employment, the economy, security and human rights. In the military environment HIV can cause loss of continuity at command level and within the ranks, increased costs with regard to recruitment and training for replacements, a reduction in military preparedness, increased costs with regard to health care, loss in productivity and a reduction of internal stability.
The HIV epidemic has continued to cause large scale morbidity and mortality, and with the exception of a few successful program continues to infect and affect communities all over the globe. One of the most identifying characters of the epidemic has been that it can occur under any socioeconomic condition, and combined with the mode of transmission led to one of the more successful preventative responses, that of behavior change programs. Due to the wide variety environmental influences and the myriad of ways in which sexuality is expressed it meant that every program had to be developed with a specific community or group to ensure a common understanding.
The Masibambisane program of the Department of Defense is an excellent example of such a prevention program, and is based on the existence of a common identity and closed community found in the military environment. According to Masibambisane:
In Hiv Prevention, the success of any particular program or intervention is measured by the subject making well informed and healthy choices, and it is therefore important that scientific research in this area be incorporated into any HIV Prevention, and all health promotion programs to be developed.
The HIV epidemic has continued to cause large scale morbidity and mortality, and with the exception of a few successful program continues to infect and affect communities all over the globe. One of the most identifying characters of the epidemic has been that it can occur under any socioeconomic condition, and combined with the mode of transmission led to one of the more successful preventative responses, that of behavior change programs. Due to the wide variety environmental influences and the myriad of ways in which sexuality is expressed it meant that every program had to be developed with a specific community or group to ensure a common understanding.
The Masibambisane program of the Department of Defense is an excellent example of such a prevention program, and is based on the existence of a common identity and closed community found in the military environment. According to Masibambisane:
... soldiers operate within a strict military code of conduct which leads to a controlled environment where your life and well-being depends on following orders and the support of your fellow comrades.Since the effectiveness of such programs have been scientifically proven to be effective, not much further has been done in the field of HIV Preventative Research. What has received a lot of attention is research on our perception, awareness, reasoning and consciousness, research that has changed the way we look at emotions, feeling, love, and how these change the way we look at the world around us, and how that influence the choices that we make.
In Hiv Prevention, the success of any particular program or intervention is measured by the subject making well informed and healthy choices, and it is therefore important that scientific research in this area be incorporated into any HIV Prevention, and all health promotion programs to be developed.
