The knowledge and perceptions of the risks of contracting HIV/AIDS and the sexual behavior of high school learners in Port St Johns Municipality, South Africa

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study attempts to identify HIV/AIDS knowledge gaps and the factors which influence the perceptions of the risks of contracting of HIV/AIDS, in relation to the sexual behavior of high school learners in Port St Johns Municipality.In order to do this, a close ended questionnaire was administered to 116 learners from three senior secondary schools in Port St Johns Municipality.Frequency table counts and percentages were used to describe HIV/AIDS knowledge, the perceptions of the risks of contracting of HIV/AIDS and the risky sexual behaviors by learners. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used in the inferential analysis.From the data, it was clear that a significant proportion of learners had gaps in their knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Female senior secondary school learners were slightly more knowledgeable than their male counterparts, in that 60% of the female learners were correct in their knowledge of HIV/AIDS, compared to 57 % of males.According to the data, 58 % of male high school learners correctly interpreted the perceptions of the risks of contracting HIV/AIDS, compared to 56% of their female counterparts. These low percentages suggest that the high school learners have inadequate skills in interpreting the perceptions of the risks of contracting of HIV/AIDS.Another finding was that 74 % of female learners do not engage in risky sexual behaviors which might lead to a contraction of HIV/AIDS, compared to 67 % of male learners. Male learners, as well as the female learners, had a Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient: r=0.522 for males and r= -0.268 for females, in terms of perceptions of risks of contracting of HIV/AIDS and engaging in risky sexual behavior. In other words, the results indicate that if males perceive the risks more acutely, they will not take such risks, whereas females are not easily influenced by the perceptions of risks and the way in which they behave.The study recommends that stakeholders of the schools craft HIV/AIDS programmes and policies that bridge the knowledge gaps and reduce or eliminate inaccurate perceptions of the risks of contracting HIV/AIDS, so as to enable learners to adopt safer sexual behaviors.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University