Reviewing the Situation: Men and Antiretroviral Treatment

ii There have been great strides in increasing access to antiretroviral treatment for HIV-positive people in South Africa. However it has been observed that men are not accessing treatment to the same extent as women. In Soweto only 30 % of the people accessing treatment are men, where the expected rate would be around 45%. Whilst there have been some studies observing treatment uptake, they do not explain the behavioural component. This thesis explores men’s help-seeking behaviour with regard to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Soweto, South Africa, as reported by the men themselves. Men’s voices in South Africa have seldom been reported in the literature on the epidemic, where the major focus has been on women and children because of their perceived vulnerability. However, men cannot be ignored, as they are part of the epidemic and can play an important role in mitigating its impact. This thesis attempts to fill this gap by exploring the perceptions of men on three themes: men’s beliefs and understanding of illness, the HIV/AIDS and stigmatisation, masculinity and men’s help-seeking behaviour, and the public health HIV services. The advances in HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and care have presented new opportunities to include me