Information behaviour in HIV/AIDS-life threatening contexts

This book is an ethnography of information behaviour of people infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS (PI/A HIV/AIDS). It seeks to generate deeper understanding of the real world ‘lived information experiences’ of PI/A HIV/AIDS, with the aim of informing information management practice, strategy and policy to better contribute to the fight against HIV/AIDS. This book brings a new dimension to the fight against HIV/AIDS by suggesting that because HIV/AIDS is a social, cultural and a biological phenomenon, attempts to fight it must take into account the complex social and cultural interactions that can both help and hinder the spread of the disease. Information behaviour is a key component of such interactions, and understanding the way it affects, and is affected by its broader context may be an influential factor in helping the fight against HIV/AIDS. Although Information is a critical resource for PI/A HIV/AIDS, research on their information behaviour is scanty. Hence this work explores HIV/AIDS-related information behaviour from the point of view of PI/A HIV/AIDS in order to unearth the dilemmas, frustrations, emotions, and challenges associated with HIV/AIDS information.