Amsterdam 2015
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| Abstract #2189 - Poster 1 | ||||
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Session: 58.21: Poster 1 (Poster) on Tuesday in Chaired by Authors: Presenting Author: Dr. Shan Qiao - Wayne State University School of Medicine, United States |
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| Additional Authors: Dr Kouassi Martin, Mr Brou Sylvain, | ||||
| Aim: In the era when HIV has transformed from a fatal disease into a treatable and now potentially curable disease, new theoretical frameworks are needed to guide research and programs. Given the complicated meaning of HIV for patients, their families, practitioners, and the whole society, HIV cure is far more than eliminating HIV virus from patients’ body. A successful and humane cure requires not only the science of eradicating pathogens but also the art of healing illness. Our study aims to posit a framework of healing process based on principles of traditional Chinese medical practice and demonstrate its implications in HIV cure. | ||||
| Method / Issue: By conducting conceptual studies on classic works of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), clinical studies and medical anthropological studies, we posit a framework of healing composing three dimensions that may be ignored by highly technical and biomedicine-centered medical practice. According to TCM, healing is a process in which patients obtain rebalance with themselves, with the external environment, and with others/society. | ||||
| Results / Comments: HIV infection is not only a biomedical process but also a social construct, a metaphor of human fears of disorder and chaos. Because of the close connection between HIV infection and social morality and social taboo (sex, drug use, homosexuality, etc.), HIV patients suffer stigma and discrimination from society, neighborhood, families even themselves (internal stigma). Lifelong effective antiretroviral therapy can suppress viral replication to very low levels, or even eradicate virus, however, technology itself is unable to restore harmony between mind and body for HIV patients or fix broken bonds between patients and their community. Health care providers may need TCM holistic approaches to improve HIV patients’ physical well-being by response-oriented therapy with emphasis on self-healing and rebalance of multi-system within the body improve their quality of life by differentiating treatments suitable at the time and environment and by promoting healthy behaviors and life style improve their psychosocial well-being by facilitating them to positively cope with tensions with others caused or aggravated by HIV infection and reintegrating them into their family and community. | ||||
| Discussion: TCM focuses on the diseased person rather than the person’s disease. Understanding and employing TCM healing principle may inform more effective HIV therapies for HIV patients in both eradicating virus and achieving multi-level rebalance in their lives. | ||||
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