Establishing the knowledge, perceptions and views of new entry level recruits in a South African military training setting on HIV/AIDS to promote HIV/AIDS awareness amongst young soldiers

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The vulnerability and risky behaviours of young people is a growing concern in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The target group for this study were young people entering the armed force to commence with their initial military training at a military training setting in the Western Cape. These recruits were from all the nine provinces in South Africa. The perceptions, views and basic knowledge of young recruits on HIV/AIDS were assessed through the application of a standardized structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings of the study presented high levels of knowledge on HIV/AIDS. However, misconceptions on the transmission of HIV are still a huge concern due to the fact that a small percentage of the respondents are under the impression that HIV/AIDS is curable. Moreover, almost all of the respondents believed that it is very easy to get HIV, in contrast to their exceptional level of knowledge on the transmission routes of HIV. In addition, some of the respondents were also under the impression that HIV can be transmitted through the bite of a mosquito. Recommendations include the implementation of routine scheduled HIV/AIDS awareness programmes with up-scaling of HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness campaigns during military training.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University