Knowledge, attitude and beliefs amongst inhabitants of high density informal settlements with regard to sexuality and AIDS in Alexandra township
Ratsaka, M.; Hirschowitz, R.
Curationis 18(2): 41-44
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0379-8577 PMID: 7634371 Document Number: 304967
It has been estimated that by the year 2005, up to 20% of adults in South Africa may be infected with HIV. An urgent need to control the spread of HIV infection therefore exists. A study was conducted to gain information on male shack dwellers' and squatters' knowledge and attitude about AIDS, as well as their sexual practices. Interviews were first conducted with 68 male informal settlement dwellers to determine which questions to pose and how to ask them, then 300 men aged 15-49 years were surveyed in the main body of the study. 54% of respondents reported having more than one sex partner and 90% had heard about AIDS as a disease. While aware of AIDS as an epidemic in the country, the men did not believe that the disease exists in their community because they had neither heard about nor seen a person with AIDS in the township. AIDS education is urgently needed. However, that education cannot take place in isolation from other improvement-oriented activities in squatter areas.