Perceptions of HIV, AIDS and tuberculosis among patients on antiretroviral therapy in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: implications for the provision of HIV and TB care services

Abstract

The objectives of the research were to explore perceptions of HIV, AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) among individuals enrolled in antiretroviral therapy (ART) at two municipal clinics in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and to assess the implications of these perceptions on the provision of HIV and TB care services. Data were collected using the freelist technique to elicit the elements of a cultural domain as well as open-ended interviews with ART clients, conducted during June and July 2009. Participants were recruited through non-probability convenience sampling. The freelist data were analysed using multidimensional scaling and hierarchical clustering, and the interview data were analysed using the grounded theory method. The results suggest that: 1) the participants had substantial knowledge about HIV, AIDS and TB; 2) the participants’ perceptions of HIV, AIDS and TB constituted three distinct, though overlapping, cultural domains; 3) because of the availability of ART and TB treatment, a...