Geography Lesotho is a small African country located in the southern portion of Africa. Lesotho is enclaved by the country, South Africa. Lesotho’s natural resources are water, agricultural grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay and building stone. The country’s terrain consists of highlands with plateaus, hills, and mountains. The country is divided into 10 healthcare districts. The mountainous terrain and limited road infrastructure of Lesotho creates a barrier for individuals to access these healthcare facilities (Coburn, Okano, and Blower 2013).
Access to Healthcare
Despite the continued efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa, the infection rate and prevalence of HIV are still on the rise in small countries such as Lesotho. A contributing factor to the rise in infection rates and prevalence of HIV in Lesotho is the lack of individuals getting screened for HIV. Many individuals who are infected do not get screened because of limited access to healthcare services. According to Lesia, Miller, Rigodon, Joseph, and Furin (2013), Lesotho has “HIV prevalence of approximately 25%” (p. 72). Although …show more content…
These beliefs create barriers because individuals are afraid of how they will be treated by their community if they get tested and find out that they are HIV positive. Corno and Walque (2013) found men and women who have a higher level of stigmatizing belief in getting tested for HIV are significantly less likely to get tested. When the individual musters up the courage to get tested, the fear of being stigmatized does not stop there. If the results come back positive a new set of fears arise. Individuals are afraid their test results will be spread to the community by healthcare workers who reside within the community. If the test results come back positive, the fear of stigmatization causes individuals to delay seeking help for care and treatment (Makoae et al.
Access to Healthcare
Despite the continued efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa, the infection rate and prevalence of HIV are still on the rise in small countries such as Lesotho. A contributing factor to the rise in infection rates and prevalence of HIV in Lesotho is the lack of individuals getting screened for HIV. Many individuals who are infected do not get screened because of limited access to healthcare services. According to Lesia, Miller, Rigodon, Joseph, and Furin (2013), Lesotho has “HIV prevalence of approximately 25%” (p. 72). Although …show more content…
These beliefs create barriers because individuals are afraid of how they will be treated by their community if they get tested and find out that they are HIV positive. Corno and Walque (2013) found men and women who have a higher level of stigmatizing belief in getting tested for HIV are significantly less likely to get tested. When the individual musters up the courage to get tested, the fear of being stigmatized does not stop there. If the results come back positive a new set of fears arise. Individuals are afraid their test results will be spread to the community by healthcare workers who reside within the community. If the test results come back positive, the fear of stigmatization causes individuals to delay seeking help for care and treatment (Makoae et al.