Needs, Barriers, and Concerns Regarding HIV Prevention among South Africans with Visual Impairments: A Key Informant Study. Research Reports

The HIV epidemic is the most serious threat to health internationally, with developing countries accounting for over 95% of new infections. Since HIV/AIDS was first identified, 20 million people have died of AIDS (Lamptey, Wigley, Carr, & Collymore, 2002). Worldwide, there will be 45 million new HIV infections by 2010 (Goliber, 2002). Social factors contribute to the spread of the epidemic; economic powerlessness and social exclusion increase vulnerability (Campbell, 2003). The predominant mode of transmission of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, which has the most infections, is unprotected heterosexual sex (World Health Organization, 2002). Since there is no cure for HIV/AIDS, the prevention of infection is essential. In South Africa, HIV prevention programs have been widely disseminated, but scant attention is given to the needs of people with visual impairments. As of the 2001 census, 577,096 South Africans were visually impaired (that is, were blind or had low vision) (Statistics South Africa, 2003). This article reports on work preparatory to developing and evaluating an intervention focusing on the needs of this community.