Bosu W, Boakye-Agyeman B, Tetteh L, Langlah R, Awusabo-Asare K; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 2000 Jul 9-14; 13: abstract no. MoPeD2750.
W. Bosu, Regional Health Administration, PO Box 63, Cape Coast, Ghana, Tel.: +233-42-32281, Fax: +233-42-34785, E-mail: wbosu@ighmail.com
We interviewed 12 trained and 14 untrained traditional birth attendants (TTBAs, UTBAs) in 16 communities in the Central Region of Ghana to investigate their perceptions on AIDS and to assess their potential role as health educators on HIV/AIDS. All TBAs provide health education on midwifery and hygiene to clients as an integral part of their practice. More than 60% of then had heard about AIDS: TTBAs from their trainers and UTBAs from radio and from community members. In general, TBAs most commonly perceived AIDS as a disease that kills, is acquired from sex, makes patients lean and affects those who have visited Abidjan. Misconceptions were that AIDS is acquired from sharing cups, eating from unhygienic places and through evil spirits. Over a third of TBAs (all UTBAs) did not know whether they were at risk of acquiring HIV. Trained TBAs were more likely to be aware of the disease and of risks of occupational exposure than the untrained TBAs but they could not afford to buy surgical gloves. Trainers of TBAs should include simple messages about AIDS and encourage use of locally appropriate alternatives to gloves.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Cote d'Ivoire
- Ghana
- Health Education
- Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
- Humans
- Interviews as Topic
- Knowledge
- Midwifery
- Perception
- education
Other ID:
UI: 102238500
From Meeting Abstracts