Barriers and Strategies to Prevent HIV/AIDS among Pacific Countries: A Systematic Review Study

摘要

Introduction: While the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is shown to be decreasing in the last few decades, it still remains a serious public health issue in Pacific countries. This study is aimed to review the common barriers and also preventive strategies for HIV/AIDS among Pacific Islanders. Methodology: This systematic review study on HIV/AIDS was developed based on the Cochrane Library Guideline. Seven online databases which were more frequently used in finding relevant studies were used to search literatures. Using relevant key words, all studies found in the search were reviewed by two independent reviewers and their quality and relevance were assessed. All previous qualitative and quantitative published articles included in the study were published from 2000 to 2016 and in the English language. A data extraction sheet was developed and a descriptive statistic was used to analyze the data. Results: Twenty-two studies met the study inclusion and exclusion criteria. Many of the studies were conducted in American Pacific countries (50%). Community-based studies were the most common type of studies (72.7%). In quantitative studies, the most common barriers were lack of accessibility to health services and lack of knowledge, while in the qualitative studies they were cultural barriers and access to health services. Educational trainings on sexual health topics were identified as the main preventive strategy. Conclusion: This study highlights the main barriers of HIV/AIDS among Pacific Islanders. It also provides a guide for decision makers to develop and implement new strategies which are sensitive and based on Pacific cultures and beliefs.