Knowledge about HIV and AIDS among Young South Africans in the Capricorn District, Limpopo Province

Autor/inn/en	Melwa, Irene T.; Oduntan, Olalekan A.
Titel	Knowledge about HIV and AIDS among Young South Africans in the Capricorn District, Limpopo Province
Quelle	In: Health Education Journal, 71 (2012) 2, S.189-194 (6 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0017-8969
DOI	10.1177/0017896910396762
Schlagwörter	Folk Culture; African Culture; Medicine; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS); Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Pregnancy; Foreign Countries; Ethics; Principals; Questionnaires; High School Students; Knowledge Level; Mothers; Health Education; South Africa + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Africa; Culture; Afrika; Kultur; Medizin; Sexual transmitted disease; Geschlechtskrankheit; Schwangerschaft; Ausland; Ethik; Principal; Schulleiter; Fragebogen; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Wissensbasis; Mother; Mutter; Gesundheitsaufklärung; Gesundheitsbildung; Gesundheitserziehung; Südafrika; Süd-Afrika; Republik Südafrika; Südafrikanische Republik
Abstract	Objective: To assess the basic knowledge about HIV and AIDS among young South Africans in the Capricorn District of Limpopo Province, South Africa. Design: A questionnaire-based cohort study, involving data collection from senior high school students. Setting: Randomly selected high schools in the Capricorn District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Method: Following university research and ethics approvals and permissions from government officials and school principals, consent forms were completed by systematically selected students and their parents or guardians. Questionnaires were distributed to the students in classrooms after school hours and were collected the same day after completion. Results: Many of the participants (64 per cent) knew what the acronym HIV stands for and 66 per cent knew what AIDS stands for. However, only 33 per cent could explain the difference between HIV negative and positive. Many knew that unprotected sex and mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy (85 and 63 per cent respectively) were modes of HIV transmission. Only two (0.1 per cent) of the participants could define the term "window period". The majority (86 per cent) agreed that it is important to know one's HIV status; however, only 6 per cent could explain why this is important. Many (66 per cent) indicated that traditional healers could not be consulted for diagnosis of HIV. Conclusion: Participants exhibited good knowledge on certain questions but performed poorly on others, suggesting the need for more awareness campaigns on the basics of HIV/AIDS among young South Africans. (Contains 2 tables.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10