Impact of work-based HIV/AIDS interventions on knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of workers in a local municipality

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is without a doubt that in the workplace, HIV/AIDS presents various challenges for both management and employees. Prevention programs that are in place have failed to have the desired effects mainly because they have not sought to challenge the attitudes and perceptions of those people they are targeting.RESEARCH METHODOLOGYThe research study is designed to be qualitative in nature and a questionnaire was developed for this purpose. The researcher used semi-structured personal interviews to collect the data. Once all data was collected, open coding was used in order to categorise data that has been collected. Data was then analysed according to the categories identified in the coding process.MAJOR FINDINGSThere were several key findings of the study and they can be summarised as follows:Knowledge about HIV/AIDS did not necessarily mean that those who are exposed information will make appropriate behaviour modification. There seems to be confusion about whether or not HIV is curable. There is a perception amongst the majority of the participants that HIV is curable by traditional doctors and there was also a group of participants who believe that HIV is not curable. Condom use is very rarely an individual choice; it is based on many factors such as social pressures, socially constructed sexual identities, and sexual power relations and to some extent cultural influences. There is still stigma and discrimination following those who are infected with HIV/AIDS since the disease became public two decades ago. Lastly, offering training in the workplace is one area that is lacking and this is one of the things that the participants alluded to.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University