399P
THE CHALLENGES OF SAILING A SMALLER RIVER: HIV/AIDS AND LIFE OUTSIDE OF MAINSTREAM SOCIETY
B Majumdar
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
Objectives: The cultural conventions governing marginalized populations (elderly, disabled peoples, First Nation's people, migrants and other ethnic minorities) are often different from those of the mainstream. These differences can make communication between health care providers and non-mainstream clientele difficult, and may create barriers that prevent those in non-mainstream groups from accessing health care resources. This presentation will examine feelings of isolation and exclusion experienced by groups of people who are perceived to have less access to HIV/AIDS resources than other groups and will reveal the barriers inhibiting non-mainstream populations from accessing health care and HIV prevention.
Methods: A critical analysis of literature on the subject of HIV/AIDS in non-mainstream populations will be conducted. Populations will include First Nation's people, physically disabled people, migrants and the elderly. Literature will be drawn from the fields of public health, epidemiology, ethics and socio-cultural studies and will be examined for common trends and themes that occur within the various cultural contexts.
Results: The analysis of the literature will reveal the experiences of marginalized people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, barriers preventing them from accessing health care facilities, and areas of deficiency within current health care policies and practices.
Conclusions: This study will act as evidence indicating whether enough studies have been done regarding these targeted populations and will assist in the examination strategies implemented for the elimination of barriers that hinder these populations from accessing health care facilities.