Assessing health-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of HIV-positive Africans accessing services in Gugulethu Township, Cape Town

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: HIV prevalence in the Western Cape, traditionally the lowest in South Africa, has jumped to higher than 10 percent for the first time – from 8,6 percent in 2001 to 12,4 percent in 2004. However, the statistic is not totally unexpected, considering the pandemic in the province is running five or six years behind the rest of the country. The figure comes from the 2002 national HIV antenatal survey. The Western Cape may continue to record the lowest rate in South Africa, but prevalence is obviously climbing fast. In addition, 19 of the 25 health districts in the Western Cape had recorded increases in the HIV rate (Department of Health, Western Cape). Syphilis rates in this province however, continued to drop, from 2,9 percent of pregnant women surveyed in 2001, to two percent in the most recent figures. Extrapolations based on a model developed by the national health department estimate that 5,3 million South Africans were HIV positive at the end of last year – up from 4,74 million in 2001.It is estimated that last year 2,95 million women between the ages of 15 and 49, and 2,3 million men in the same age group, were infected with HIV. Nearly 100 000 babies became infected too, via mother-to-child transmission. In her preface to the report, national health minister The Hannan Crusaid ARV Treatment Centre is the result of a partnership between the Western Cape government and UK-based HIV/Aids fundraising organisation Crusaid (Department of Health, 2004).The facility is rendering services such as counseling and the supply of the ARV treatment to the people of Gugulethu and surrounding communities. Approximately 38 000 of Gugulethu's 340 000 population could be HIV-positive. The provincial government donated R3,2-million towards building the site, while Crusaid invested R5,6-million (Department of Health, Western Cape: 2004).Various services run by the statutory and voluntary sector have been set up to help meet the increasing demand for HIV related support and care amongst this population. However, there is relatively limited data on HIV-related knowledge, sexual attitudes and practices amongst Africans living with HIV in the township. Similarly, their access to HIV-related services within the district remains relatively undocumented. The aims of this project were to collect preliminary data regarding HIV related knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) amongst HIV positive Africans accessing services in Gugulethu Township. To assess the feasibility of collecting KAP data amongst this population, qualitative and quantitative methods were used in a synergistic fashion, allowing a methodology to emerge in line with the real lives of HIV positive African residents and providers in the district. The methodology was closely linked to user-consultation with HIV-positive Africans who played a key role in defining and developing the research questions and the eventual survey tool.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University