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  • Title: Beliefs and perceptions about HIV infection and AIDS among mothers of infants in Ibadan, Nigeria.
    Author: Kayode CM, Adeyemo AA, Omotade OO.
    Journal: West Afr J Med; 2002; 21(1):43-7. PubMed ID: 12081342.
    Abstract:
    In view of the growing importance of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Nigeria, 221 mothers were interviewed by means of semi-structured questionnaires in an infant welfare clinic in Ibadan, Nigeria, about their perceptions and beliefs about HIV/AIDS infection with particular emphasis on how the infection could be acquired, how the risk of its acquisition can be reduced and whether how children could be infected. The findings revealed that 81% of the respondents believe that HIV infection does exist in Nigeria but only 17.6% think they have seen an AIDS patient. About two-thirds (68.8%) believe that children can be infected with HIV, 70.6% believe that a mother can transmit the infection to her child and 58% believe that HIV can be transmitted through breast milk. Eighty percent believe that people can protect themselves from having the infection by various means, including avoiding sharing needles or reusing hypodermic needles (83.3%), receiving unscreened blood (79.2%), mutual fidelity with a single sexual partner (73.8%), use of condoms (67.9%), avoiding the use of public toilets (56.1%) and avoiding mosquito bites (35.3%). Those with higher education showed better knowledge than those with lower education. In spite of the strong correlation with formal education, some misconceptions existed in all groups. For example, those without any formal education compared with those with some formal education believed that use of public toilet can cause HIV to be transmitted, the difference was not statistically significant (chi2 = 8.87; p = 0.064). Interestingly more of the highly literate women believed that HIV infection can be acquired by mosquito bites (chi2 = 16.82; p = 0.002). It was concluded that awareness of HIV infection and AIDS is high among mothers of infants attending the infant welfare clinic of the Institute of child Health, Ibadan. Whatever educational interventions is planned for this facility should take these findings into account and specially target those with none or little formal education.
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