These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Knowledge, attitudes and practice in regard to AIDS: the case of social science students at the University of Bophuthatswana.
    Author: Kaya HO, Kau M.
    Journal: Curationis; 1994 Jun; 17(2):10-4. PubMed ID: 8044879.
    Abstract:
    The necessity of AIDS educational campaigns is to reduce the spread of HIV infection by changing attitudes and practices related to high-risk behaviours. However, before such programmes are implemented a needs assessment should be conducted. This includes the existing knowledge and attitudes and sexual practices of the specific risk-group. In this study the risk-group were social science students at the University of Bophuthatswana. The majority of the respondents showed a general knowledge about AIDS in terms of its main symptoms, common modes of transmission and the non-availability of a cure. They, however, expressed the need for more information about AIDS. Lack of enough knowledge was shown by their negative attitudes towards those who had already contracted the disease and the number of sexual partners they had. Furthermore, despite the realization of the necessity to use condoms during sexual intercourse, the majority of them did not use them. The study also revealed the minimal role parents, teachers and lecturers play in the dissemination of information about AIDS. The findings call for more AIDS educational programmes to clear away misconceptions about the transmission of the HIV/AIDS virus; and the need to involve parents, schools and universities actively in the dissemination of information about AIDS. The authors investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices in regard to AIDS of 87 first year and 26 final year social science students at the University of Bophuthatswana. Aged 17-38 years, more than 70% were females. More than 83% originated from rural areas of Bophuthatswana and other South African Homelands. 64-85% had only one sex partner both before and after learning something about AIDS. Although they expressed the need for more information about AIDS, the majority were generally knowledgeable about AIDS in terms of its main symptoms, common modes of transmission, and the non-availability of a cure. Respondents' lack of knowledge was indeed indicated by their negative attitudes toward those who had already contracted the disease, while the majority failed to use condoms even though they were aware of the need to do so. The study also revealed the minimal role parents, teachers, and lecturers play in the dissemination of information about AIDS. More educational programs are needed to correct misinformation about the transmission of HIV/AIDS, while parents, schools, and universities should become more active in disseminating information about AIDS.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]