Factors that affect awareness about the spread of HIV / AIDS in rural Lesotho

Abstract

A stratified random sample of 401 participants was taken from three sites of study (Maluti, Seboche and Paray) in rural Lesotho in an attempt to study the relationship between awareness about HIV/AIDS and 55 socio-economic and demographic variables. Pearson's chi-square tests of association and logistic regression analysis were used to identify factors that strongly affected awareness about HIV/AIDS. Results showed that awareness about HIV/AIDS was strongly affected by willingness to change sexual behaviour, regular use of condoms, sexually transmitted diseases, number of sexual partners and knowledge of transmission of the HIV/AIDS virus. Recommendations were made to promote health education in rural Lesotho on safe sex and the use of home-based care for people living with the virus. AFRIKAANS: In ‘n poging om die verband tussen die bewustheid van HIV/VIGS en 55 sosio-ekonomiese en demografiese veranderlikes te bestudeer, is ‘n gestratifiseerde ewekansige steekproef van 401 deelnemers in drie studie-areas in die platteland van Lesotho (Maluti, Seboche en Paray) gedoen. Pearson se chi-kwadranttoets vir assosiasie en regressie-analise is gebruik om faktore wat ‘n sterk invloed op die bewustheid van HIV/VIGS het te identifiseer. Resultate toon dat bewustheid van HIV/VIGS sterk beïnvloed word deur die bereidheid om seksuele gedrag te verander, gereelde gebruik van kondome, seksuele oordraagbare siektes, getal seksuele kontakte en kennis van die oordraagbaarheid van die HIV/VIGS virus. Aanbevelings is gemaak om gesondheidsopvoeding in landelike Lesotho met betrekking tot veilige seksuele gedrag en die tuisversorging van vigslyers te bevorder.