An investigation into the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS campaigns in dealing with stigma in schools

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:The focus of the study was to assess the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns in reducing stigma and discrimination in schools. The findings of the study from all three high schools that took part in the study indicated that stigma still exists in schools. The existence of stigma and discrimination in school can have far much reaching effect. For effective teaching and learning to take every one should feel belonging and welcomed at school, however if people will be discriminated and stigmatised because of the HIV status chances are learners will dropout of school or not attend regular because of the bad treatment that they receive. Bad treatment directed to people because of their positive HIV status will further compound the stress of having to accept and deal with their status and ultimately this might affect their health.OBJECTIVES:Objectives were as follows: Assess the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS campaigns in reducing stigma in three high schools around J.T Gaetsewe region. Identify factors contributing to stigma in three High schools around J.T Gaetsewe region. Provide guidelines for policy and programme development to help in reduction of stigma in the school environment.METHODS:The quantitative research approach was used for the study. The questionnaires were used to collect data. According to O'Neill (2006), quantitative data analysis enables you to make sense of data by: analysing, summarising or doing exploratory analysis and to communicate meaning to others by presenting data as data tables, graphical displays and summary statistics.RESULTS:It was evident from the results of the study that despites efforts made to educate people about various aspects of HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination still exists in schools. Such state of affairs is likely to pose a threat in tremendous efforts put in place to control the spread and mitigating the social effects of HIV/AIDS. People are still afraid of being closely associated with people affected or infected by HIV/AIDS.CONCLUSION:HIV/AIDS related stigma and discrimination exists in different settings and various programmes have been put in place as an attempt to deal with it. In schools programmes such life skills training and inclusion of HIV/AIDS education as part of the school curriculum are some of the efforts made in an attempt to increase learner's knowledge concerning HIV/AIDS. Despite these efforts, the research findings indicated that stigma and discrimination still exists and this state of affairs calls for more effort.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University