Awusabo-Asare K, Anarfi J K
Department of Geography, University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
Health Transit Rev. 1997;7 Suppl:243-56.
Historically, diseases whose aetiology could not be readily explained have been given supernatural explanations among the various ethnic groups in Ghana. Now HIV infection, with no known cure and origin, has been given a supernatural explanation. Such an explanation of disease causation influences people's attitude to the disease and to infected persons, and influences the health-seeking behaviour of infected persons. Data from a study on the Social Dimensions of HIV/AIDS Infections in Ghana are used to examine the health-seeking behaviour of some persons with AIDS interviewed in 1992. The paper examines the health care outlets used by infected persons and the reasons for using those outlets. Some HIV-infected persons in Ghana felt that they had been bewitched and, therefore, used multiple health care outlets, either serially or simultaneously, hoping that one of them might provide a cure or relief as well as explain the source of the infection. This is in spite of the continuing educational campaign stating that the disease has no cure. Such attitudes towards the disease and health-seeking behaviour should be considered in the design of programs for infected persons.
从历史上看，在加纳的不同族群中，那些病因难以轻易解释的疾病一直被赋予超自然的解释。如今，无法治愈且病因不明的艾滋病毒感染也被赋予了超自然的解释。这种对疾病成因的解释影响着人们对该疾病以及感染者的态度，还影响着感染者寻求健康的行为。来自加纳一项关于艾滋病毒/艾滋病感染社会层面研究的数据，被用于考察1992年接受访谈的一些艾滋病患者的就医行为。本文探讨了感染者所使用的医疗保健机构以及选择这些机构的原因。加纳的一些艾滋病毒感染者觉得自己中了巫术，因此先后或同时使用了多个医疗保健机构，希望其中之一能治愈疾病或缓解症状，并解释感染源。尽管一直在开展教育活动表明这种疾病无法治愈，但对该疾病的这种态度以及就医行为在为感染者设计项目时应予以考虑。
