Bowman CA, Rogstad KE, Ahmed IH, Tesfaledet G, Abdullah MS; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 1992 Jul 19-24; 8: D531 (abstract no. PoD 5853).
Dept of Genitourinary Medicine, City Hospital, Nottingham, UK.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the level of understanding of HIV/AIDS by Kenyan health care workers and to determine whether recent health campaigns have resulted in a change in risk behaviour. METHOD: 200 health care workers at the Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi, were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire. RESULTS: There was a 75% response rate (27 male, 109 female). Knowledge of transmission factors was poor. 70% believed HIV could be passed on on by kissing, 89% by oral sexual intercourse, 43% by nursing a patient, 31% by mosquito bites and 25% by sexual intercourse with a condom. Younger patients were more likely to believe condoms were ineffective (p = 0.007) and that mosquito bites were a significant risk factor (p = 0.0038). Risk factors for HIV acquisition were assessed. 11% had 2 or more partners in the preceding year and 24 of 49 patients did not use condoms with non-regular partners. Men were more likely to have changed their sexual behaviour because of the HIV epidemic (p = 0.01) but were still more likely to have more partners (p = 0.005). Four people admitted to homosexual relations in the past. 70% considered themselves to be at risk of HIV infection but only 12% had been tested. CONCLUSION: The population still does not have an adequate knowledge of safe sex and although there has been behavioural change, people are still at risk of HIV infection. Confidence in condoms is unacceptably low. Health education campaigns which are currently based on Western models are clearly ineffective and an approach more suited to African culture would be more appropriate.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Condoms
- Ethnic Groups
- Female
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
- Health Personnel
- Humans
- Kenya
- Knowledge
- Male
- Questionnaires
- Risk Factors
- Risk-Taking
- Safe Sex
- Sexual Behavior
- transmission
Other ID:
UI: 102201033
From Meeting Abstracts