The need for an HIV/AIDS education programme at Mokopane Police station, Limpopo Province

Abstract

HIV is a very small germ or organism, called a virus, which people become infected with. It cannot be seen with the naked eye, but only under a microscope. The body’s natural ability to fight illness is called the immune system. It is the body’s defence against infection. The virus attacks the immune system and reduces the body’s resistance to all kinds of illnesses. That is why HIV is called the Human Immuno Deficiency Virus. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The word syndrome means that several symptoms occur at the same time. It is used to emphasize that people with AIDS have many signs and symptoms, because they suffer from several illnesses at once. Education is a process of learning, acquiring information or gaining knowledge through training, workshops or seminars. HIV/AIDS education refers to a way of disseminating information about HIV/AIDS pandemic in order to reduce ignorance and fear, thus preventing the spread of the virus infection. Education on the pandemic seems to be the only solution through which HIV/AIDS can be controlled. At present there is no medicine that can prevent people from being infected, and there is no cure for HIV/AIDS pandemic, which is a fatal disease. Some drugs seem to enable the body to defend itself against the opportunistic diseases like cancers, TB, pneunemia, flu or diarrhea, but these are expensive. The drugs are not yet available to many people in our country. This means that the death rate from HIV/AIDS pandemic is still climbing rapidly among men and women of all ages and race especially among sexual-active people. The only way to combat the pandemic is through massive programme of public education which will include the following: the basic information on the pandemic, modes of transmission, stages on HIV infection to AIDS, diagnosis of HIV infection, counseling, treatment and prevention of HIV infection. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that there are programmes to educate the workers at all levels, on HIV/AIDS pandemic. The aim of the study is to explore the need for an HIV/AIDS education programme at Mokopane Police Station through literature review and administration of a questionnaire to participants. The research approach used was quantitative. This approach helped the researcher to clearly understand and investigate aspects of social reality. The type of research was applied research. Applied research focuses on problem solving in practice. In this study applied research was used as the findings of exploratory study to recommend to SAPS Management for a possible programme on HIV/AIDS education at Mokopane Police Station. Exploratory design was used to explore the need for HIV/AIDS education programme. The method for data collection was by means of self-constructed questionnaires. The population for the study was 126 police officers. Random systematic sampling method was used to select the sample of 42 respondents. The questionnaires were pilot tested on five (5) respondents who did not form part of the research study. Data was analysed and interpreted using tables, bar graphs and piecharts.