Abstract
A total of 120 teachers from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, underwent HIV/AIDS training. As part of the study, the teachers were surveyed, before and after the training, about their perceptions of HIV prevalences among pupils, other teachers, and community members, and about their perceptions of their own HIV status. Before the training, the teachers estimated average HIV prevalences among pupils, other teachers, and other community members to be 36%, 48%, and 61%, respectively. One-third of the teachers believed that they had a 50% or greater chance of currently being infected with HIV. Male teachers and teachers with a university degree gave lower HIV prevalence estimates for other people but not for themselves. Frequency of condom use was positively related to teachers’ HIV prevalence estimates for other people. Teachers’ estimates of HIV prevalence and perceived risk of own HIV infection increased significantly after the HIV/AIDS training.
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Acknowledgments
This project would not have been possible without the guidance and encouragement from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and Culture. We would like to thank Dr. DNW Ngcobo (Acting Regional Chief Director, Umgungundlovu Pietermaritzburg Region), Mr. Bheki Mthabela (Director, Research, Strategy and Policy Development), Thandiwe Zungu (Deputy Director), and Mbuso Gumude and Sbusiso Alwar (Researchers) in the Research Unit of the Department of Education and Culture. We wish to thank Mr. Hennie de Bruin of the Psychological Services, Umgungundlovu Region, who was a strong supporter of the research and was instrumental in the project being undertaken. Our sincere gratitude also goes to three counselors from Psychological Services, Sandie Maxwell, Gerhard van Tonder, and Chris Keal, who provided immensely valuable help, acting as liaisons with school principals and in helping with fieldwork. The principals and teachers at the participating schools also gave selflessly of their time and we would like to thank them. We would like to acknowledge the help and financial support provided by the University of Pennsylvania Center for AIDS Research Pilot Grant (NIH P30AI045008) and by the NIH Fogarty International Center (K01TW06658). We also would like to thank the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions that greatly improved the paper.
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Chao, LW., Gow, J., Akintola, O. et al. Perceptions of Community HIV Prevalence, Own HIV Infection, and Condom Use among Teachers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. AIDS Behav 11, 453–462 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-006-9154-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-006-9154-y