Question

As a healthcare professional, why would it be important to ask your patients with HIV about their social support and level of social contact? What is the impact of loneliness on individuals' living with HIV?

Answer 1

There are various factors which should be considered while asking the patients about social support and their level of contact like:

• the financial condition of the patient.
• moral support and care from the family.
• the care and medicines required during HIV infection.
• the symptoms and chances of the occurence of other infections in HIV.
• types of diagnosis and treatment available for HIV infection.
• proper rehabilitation facilities for the patient with care in hygienic rooms.
• anti-retroviral therapy.
• statistical survey was conducted on small children with HIV in china hospital under the Red ribbon program.
• their should be moral, emotional and physical support to the children who suffer from HIV and effort should be made to reassure them that they will be cured as medicines are available to treat this disease.
• social care and restructuring of these people should be there in the society with counseling and support.
• Stress models are available which relate the effects of the environment and society of the health of the people infected with this disease.

The impact and effects of loneliness include:

• tendency to commit suicide due to lack of care and lack of financial security.
• gender inequality and poor living conditions of the infected people.
• social stigma, domestic violence and lack of social communication and care .
• punishments in the form of lack of social networking in infected people.
• lack of awareness about the harmful effects of this disease.
• awareness about proper sexual practises with proper care and sterilization.
• chances of developing negative thinking with tendency to blame yourself for the occurence of this infection.
• non governmental organizations and care models should be there for providing the rehabilitation facilities to the patients with HIV infection.