Date of Award

11-5-2022

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Health Policy and Management

First Advisor

Dr. Tazeen S. Ali

Second Advisor

Dr. Arshad Altaf

Third Advisor

Dr. Muhammad Asim

Department

Community Health Sciences

Abstract

Background: Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) globally is one of the responsible factors for affecting young people from the age bracket of 15 -30 years old. In the age bracket of 15 to 19 the early youth age, 17 young people out of 100,000 are affected because of HIV. In the age bracket of 20 to 24 years old around 24 young people out of 100,000 are living with HIV. As per the National AIDS Control Program (NACP) of Pakistan more than 2, 00,000 people are living with HIV and among those around 53,000 are registered under the NACP. Of these individuals, more than 33,000 are on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART). According to the Community-Based Organizations (CBO)’s files and reports, the registered individuals who are taken care of at their CBOs for HIV screening, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment, around 40 -45 % of the individuals consist of the age group 18 to 35 years old. These young people face issues in accessing healthcare or drop within the process of getting a timely screening, diagnosis, and start of ART.
Study Objective: The research aimed to document young people living with HIV‘s lived experiences of accessing healthcare in the city of Karachi to provide further development of policy and practice recommendations for improving young people ‘s healthcare access-related experiences.
Methodology: A Qualitative Phenomenology study design was used to conduct this research study. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit the participants in the interview process for the study. A total of 2 pilot interviews and 8 final interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. The study was conducted in the city of Karachi in from Gulshan, Korangi, and Baldia town areas. The interviews were tape-recorded and conducted at a private space in the CBO office or participants’ residences as per their convenience. The data was translated and transcribed into English language and a thematic analysis was run manually using Colaizzi's principles and guidelines for data management and analysis of phenomenology studies.
Results: The main themes retrieved through the study are related to experiences of healthcare access, personal understanding of HIV healthcare, and support for Young People Living with HIV (YPLH). The sub-themes which are derived from the main theme are related to health care professionals’ positive encouragement and delay in screening, inappropriate understanding of HIV and ART as survival, and increased external support and decreased internal support respectively.
Conclusion: The study has concluded that healthcare providers’ behaviors are improving with YPLH in Karachi. Participants are experiences enhancement in positive behaviors from non-immediate social circles and on the other hand, their experiences within the family are difficult. There is a survival-focused approach toward the treatment but a lack of proper understanding of the disease and its related factors.

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1

Last Page

71

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