Sociological analysis of barriers to effective social HIV prevention in the Volgograd region

Abstract

The relevance of the issues under consideration is determined by the specificity of HIV infection, which is both a consequence and a cause of social deprivation, psychosocial crisis situations and social tension. In this regard, the aim of our study is to identify the level of awareness of citizens about HIV infection, diagnostic possibilities and measures of personal prevention before and after a comprehensive systematic application of medical and social work technologies in the framework of primary prevention. The object of the study is modern processes in society in relation to medical and social prevention of HIV infection. The subject of the study is the level of awareness of young people about HIV infection within the framework of using the best medical and social practices in HIV prevention. The author examines in detail the social effect of activities of various formats necessary to increase the level of medical and social literacy of both HIV-negative and HIV-positive people. In the process of research, general scientific (analysis, review of domestic and foreign professional literature) and special-scientific research methods were used: questionnaire survey (young people); method of focused interview and expert assessments of specialists dealing with HIV/AIDS (doctors, psychologists, peer counselors, social work specialists). The questions were related to the effectiveness of established medical and social methods (technologies) of HIV prevention. Comprehensive medical and social work, consisting in identifying gaps in medical and social literacy, conducting prevention activities with the target audience, assessing the expert opinion of specialists involved in HIV prevention, and proposing recommendations based on the results of the study, allowed to identify a number of social barriers that hinder effective medical and social prevention of HIV infection to determine the vectors for the development of new forms and technologies in the field of HIV prevention.