A future of possibilities: Educating children living in HIV impacted households

Close to one and a half million Kenyans reportedly live with HIV/AIDS. Using qualitative in-depth interviews this study explores the ways in which parents living with HIV/AIDS navigate their social and economic environment to provide educational opportunities for their children. Barriers identified include the economic costs of a free primary education, and the emotional implications of living in an HIV affected household. Respondents demonstrate a persistent utilization of internal and external resources in navigating these barriers. These findings support family economic interventions that enable parents guarantee an educational future for their children.     

HIV/AIDS-Anxiety among Adolescent Students in Botswana

This research investigated the incidence of HIV/AIDS anxiety among students in Botswana. The sample comprised 240 randomly selected students from six schools in three districts in Botswana, with data collected via a questionnaire. Percentages and Chi-square were used to analyze the extent to which the students were anxious about HIV/AIDS and if there was a significant gender difference in this regard. Findings showed that the students were anxious on several fronts about HIV/AIDS; specifically that they and their relations might contract the virus and that they might lose family members. There was gender difference in terms of anxiety about the possibility that relations might become infected. The role of the counsellor in reducing HIV/AIDS anxiety among students in communities living with HIV/AIDS is discussed.     

Can we use young people’s knowledge to develop teachers and HIV-related education?

Despite recent progress in meeting the goals of the Education for All agenda, certain groups of young people are particularly vulnerable to exclusion and underachievement, including children with HIV/AIDS, children living in poverty, and children with disabilities. HIV/AIDS has reduced many young people’s rights to access education, to live a full and healthy life, and to have a life as a child. This article focuses on attempts to continue to empower young people to protect themselves from HIV by exploring the dynamics around HIV-related education in schools, in particular by examining the role that young people’s knowledge can play in improving curricula and thus reducing HIV/AIDS rates. The authors draw on qualitative research in a total of eight schools in Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. Preliminary findings suggest that pupil consultation and dialogue can be used to inform thinking on the curriculum for HIV education.     

健康与污名——一项关于高校学生针对艾滋病患者态度的定量研究

自1985年我国发现第一例艾滋病病例以来,艾滋病患者长期处于社会排斥与社会隔离之中,他们饱受歧视与压抑,成为丧失部分权利和地位的"身份受损"群体——污名群体.本研究对北京市某高校部分学生进行了抽样调查,认为对艾滋病知识的掌握、成长阶段以及影响性知识、艾滋病知识获取的主客观因素显著干预高校学生对于艾滋病患者的态度,并指出艾滋病的"内部可控性"和"消极符号化含义"对延续艾滋病患者群体污名化处境具有负面作用.     

Moral Development,HIV/AIDS Knowledge,and Attitude toward HIV/AIDS among Counseling Students in the United States

People living with HIV/AIDS will likely require services from mental health professionals to address the complex psychosocial effects of the illness. In the United States, counseling students are not likely to be well prepared to serve clients affected by HIV/AIDS, and little is known about their HIV-related knowledge and attitudes. The present study assessed the moral development, HIV/AIDS knowledge, and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS among a national sample of counseling students in the United States. Results indicated that students held biases toward people living with HIV/AIDS and that their attitudes toward HIV/AIDS were inversely related to their level of moral development.     

Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about HIV/AIDS among Hindu students from a government women's college of South India

The purpose of the study was to determine the attitudes of Hindu students from a government women's college of South India toward people with AIDS, to assess their beliefs about HIV/AIDS, to determine their knowledge level about HIV/AIDS and to determine how they gain information about HIV/AIDS. The sample consisted of four hundred female students at a government funded Women's University in Southern India who participated in an AIDS survey research project. Participants completed a survey asking about their knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about HIV/AIDS. Results indicated that a majority of the participants learned about HIV/AIDS from reading material while some learned about HIV/AIDS from school classes, and only a few learned from family members. Thirty-nine percent had never communicated to any one about HIV/AIDS. The results indicated that the majority of Indian women in this study did not know about explicit sexual behaviors which transmit the virus. The study also showed that those Indian women university students, by and large, are accepting of people with AIDS but still have fears of getting HIV/AIDS. This data suggest a need to increase educational efforts at the university. It was suggested that counselors take responsibility for helping this population of Indian women become self advocates, particularly in a society which permits men to have multiple sexual relationships. Educators and counselors working with this population must initiate programs that impart accurate and specific knowledge to these female college students and begin to address the multiple psychosocial issues related to HIV/AIDS.     

Child abuse and AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes and behavior among adolescents in Zambia

OBJECTIVE: To research the correlation between physical and sexual abuse by family members and AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy and behavior among urban and rural adolescents in Zambia. SAMPLE: The sample comprises 3,360 adolescents, aged 10-19, from urban and rural Zambia; 2,160 of them attended school, while 1,200 of them did not. MEASURES: Standardized scales were utilized to assess AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy. In addition, the adolescents reported the extent of their engagement in various high-risk behaviors and their lifetime experience of being sexually or physically abused. RESULTS: As the level of abuse experienced by the adolescents increased, their level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS, tendency to hold positive attitudes toward prevention, and level of self-efficacy regarding HIV/AIDS prevention decreased. Most importantly, when controlling for socio-demographic variables, findings indicate that past abuse was a key factor predicting participation in high-risk behaviors associated with HIV infection. CONCLUSION: Physical and sexual abuse of adolescents in Zambia is significantly related to HIV risk behaviors. Future studies should investigate which factors mediate between the experience of abuse and the tendency to engage in risky behaviors.     

Child sexual abuse in Tanzania and Kenya

OBJECTIVE: Most research on child abuse in Tanzania and Kenya is unpublished in the international literature. The purpose of this paper is to examine the various commentaries and reports extant, toward an overview of the nature and frequency of child sexual abuse in Tanzania and Kenya. METHODS: Contacts were made with academics, government departments, NGOs, and UN agencies. This was followed by a field trip in the summer of 2001 where all available reports were examined and a wide range of interviews conducted. RESULTS: Little empirical data exist on child sexual abuse in Tanzania. It is widely perceived that it may be increasing as a result of AIDS sufferers' attempts to "cleanse" themselves. The breakdown of traditional childcare systems, foreign influences, poverty, and the lowly position of girls in society are also implicated. More research has been conducted in Kenya. It is clear that first coitus occurs at a young age for many Kenyan children and adolescents. Also, a degree of force, trickery, or material exchange is not uncommon in adolescent sexual relations. CONCLUSIONS: Child sexual abuse is under-researched in Tanzania and Kenya. Studies by UN agencies such as United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) have focused on the commercial sexual exploitation of children, to the neglect of more pervasive abuse in children's own communities by family, relatives, and neighbors. Nationwide surveys of the general population are required for an empirical understanding of this topic. Given the high incidence of AIDS/HIV in both countries, it is important to know if the epidemic is increasing the risk of rape or incest for children.     

‘Youth in a void’: sexuality,HIV/AIDS and communication in Kenyan public schools

The disappearance of traditional sex education during rites of passage in African societies has left many youth uncertain of where to look for information. Against this backcloth, the objectives of this study were to identify knowledge gaps amongst adolescents in Kenya regarding sexuality, HIV/AIDS and reproductive health. A thematic analysis was conducted of questions posed by 735 school youth aged 12–18 years from Meru and Kajiado Districts. Results show that many questions showed curiosity and anxiousness. Knowledge appeared to be fragmented and sometimes revealed misconceptions, which may put youth at risk. The raised themes differed by gender and age. Questions on saying no to sex, sexual violence and female circumcision were a great concern for girls. Boys were more concerned with managing boy–girl relationships, preventing STI/HIV infection, and condoms. Concern about transition to adulthood, sexuality, STI and HIV/AIDS, myths and misconceptions, and intergenerational communication cut across both genders. Older teens were more concerned with questions on boy–girl relationships, norms and values regarding sexuality, and STI. Younger teens ( < 15 years) wanted to know about reproduction, saying no to sex, HIV/AIDS, condoms, sexual violence and female circumcision. Compounding these challenges was the lack of intergenerational communication. The study identified important knowledge and communication gaps in sexual and reproductive health among in-school adolescents in Kenya. There is a need for sex education interventions for different age groups and genders. These interventions should work with parents, teachers and health professionals.     

Continuous Absenteeism among Teachers Living with HIV/AIDS: Perceptions of School Principals

Abstract

Education is an indispensable tool for total economic emancipation in Africa and elsewhere. Thus, it is a great cause for concern that teachers, who are the main drivers of education, are so strongly affected by HIV/AIDS. A large part of the profound impact of HIV/AIDS is felt in education and threatens the quality of education. The study reported on examined how principals are managing the challenges caused by absenteeism among teachers living with HIV/AIDS. A narrative inquiry design situated in the qualitative research approach was used together with narrative interviews to elicit qualitative data. The study was embedded within the social constructivist paradigm. Transformational leadership and ethics of care formed the theoretical framework of the study. The qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data. The key findings reveal how principals maintain quality of instructional effectiveness through substituting sick and absent teachers using a relief system. They also support, empower and advise teachers. Principals should be provided with support from the Department of Education (DoE) to replace teachers timeously before teaching and learning are disrupted.     

Unveiling their worlds: the use of dialogue as a health-promotion tool for HIV/AIDS education in a poor community in Kenya

Three decades since the onset of HIV/AIDS, 33.2 million people worldwide are infected and prevalence in Kenya is on the rise. This paper contributes to discussions about HIV/AIDS education and draws on the health promotion approach and the emancipatory theory of Paulo Freire. Freire argued that through dialogue people unveil their world. The researchers used the method of dialogue to facilitate parents' and teachers' reflections on sexuality education for the children. The dialogues seemed to facilitate some reflection and showed the attitudes of the community to matters that impact on sexuality education (e.g. gender and sexuality). This paper illustrates how dialogic processes can be useful to the process of constructing realistic and contextually relevant HIV/AIDS education. The challenges for the researcher as an outsider are also discussed.     

我国艾滋病感染者就业歧视产生的主要原因

在我国,艾滋病感染者遭遇就业歧视的主要原因在法律层面上是由于法出多门、立法层次较低、内容不完善、法律可操作性不强、执法监督力度不够,从而法律不能充分保障艾滋病感染者的就业权利;在社会层面上,由于人们缺乏对艾滋病的正确认识,对艾滋病及其感染者心存疑虑和恐惧,因而表现出对艾滋病感染者的排斥和歧视。     

Innocent Victims, Fighter Cells, and White Uncles: A Discourse Analysis of Children’s Books about AIDS

In this article, we examine a set of 26 children’s books on HIV/AIDS published between 1989–1999 to identify the ways in which these texts construct HIV/AIDS and people living with HIV/AIDS. We explore how this marginalized group is depicted in these books, and how well-meaning teachers may in fact be reproducing dominant discourses about HIV/AIDS in their curricula. In this article we focus, in particular, on how the discourses connected to public health, medicine, and secrecy (as a discourse across many institutions) are filtered to children and take part in constructing their beliefs and assumptions about HIV/AIDS. We illustrate our argument with examples from the books and show why teachers need to know how to analyze texts they select for their curricula so as to read books about HIV/AIDS critically in the classroom. Megan Blumenreich is Assistant Professor of Childhood Education at The City College of New York, City University of New York. Her research interests focus on urban schooling, poststructuralist approaches to qualitative research, and teacher education. She is the coauthor of The Power of Questions: A Guide to Teacher and Student Research (Heineman, 2005). Marjorie Siegel is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research interests include transmediation and multimodality in literacy education, content area literacies, and literacies and technologies. She is the coauthor of Reading Counts: Expanding the role of reading in mathematics classrooms (Teachers College, 2000). M. Himley, “Teaching the rhetoric of AIDS: Blurring the boundaries.”     

The evaluation of a unified theory for HIV/AIDS counselling

This paper evaluates a unified theory for HIV/AIDS counselling. The evaluation was based upon the hypothesis that if the theory was valid it would generate therapeutic outcomes. The theory was operationalised and evaluated in the context of group counselling. The group counselling sessions were video recorded and the tapes were viewed by a research team. Details of the counselling were recorded through the process of triangulation. The therapeutic outcomes were stated and confirmed with the group members through the process of respondent validation. In conclusion the hypothesis was accepted and the unified theory does offer an appropriate foundation upon which HIV/AIDS counselling can be based.     

COLLEGE COURSES IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

The second decade of AIDS demands a response of new and creative efforts for HIV/AIDS prevention education and ministering to persons affected by and living with HIV/AIDS. Jewish and Christian theological and faith‐based arguments are presented to support the call to educate for prevention and the call to minister. The need to network and collaborate with public health for more effective programs is also outlined.     

HIV education in the formal curriculum

The AIDS epidemic presents a complex of issues that require global answers, involving entire societies. The only sustainable solution is to include all sectors of society in a multidisciplinary collaboration, within which the formal education system plays a key role in delivering a comprehensive response to the disease at the national level. Moreover, in order to be effective, governments must work in collaboration with parents, religious leaders, and community members. This article describes eight key issues that must be addressed to establish a successful HIV/AIDS education curriculum. It also provides examples of best practices from three countries. First, HIV education in schools should adopt a human rights perspective and address stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV (PLHIV). Second, gender issues should be fully integrated into messages about the disease and the whole community should be sensitized on this topic. Third, national curricula must be designed in respect of religious perspectives; the most successful ones will include religious leaders in the process. Fourth, the language and content used in designing education materials for schools must be culturally sensitive, as local traditions can influence the transmission of HIV; those developing curricula should explore the best ways to incorporate positive traditions into formal education initiatives. Fifth, governments are responsible for providing comprehensive and adapted messages about the disease to children and youth in school settings; they must develop a national strategic policy on it and establish specific measures established to protect PLHIV. Sixth, the family plays the primary role in providing information to children on sexuality and HIV-related issues, even if parents and children sometimes find it hard to talk about. Parents must be informed so they can play a more active role in educating their children in this area. Seventh, teachers and administrators are central to effective HIV education; as they often complement parents’ roles, they need to be trained at pre- and in-service levels on these issues, including sexuality. Finally, children and young adults should learn about sexuality and HIV and AIDS at various stages throughout their development. It is crucial to adapt the content to the age and knowledge level of the target group.     

A constructivist approach to HIV/AIDS education for women within the Maritime Provinces of Canada

The primary objective of this research was to increase understanding of how women in the Maritime Provinces of Canada learn about the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This research utilised a qualitative approach with specific methods including interviews, joint interviews and focus groups. Overall 44 women participated in this research. The data was analysed using a thematic approach. The main findings of this research are that (1) women in the Maritime Provinces of Canada may have incomplete information about HIV/AIDS and sexual health due to limited experience with the HIV/AIDS epidemic; (2) violence greatly affects the lives of women in this region; and (3) informal learning is the most important factor that determines what Maritime women know about HIV/AIDS. A primary recommendation from this research is that when working with adult women to increase their understanding of HIV/AIDS it is helpful to work within a constructivist framework in order to develop a deeper understanding of the magnitude and potential outcomes of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.     

The provision of HIV/AIDS education in English colleges of further education

This paper focuses on the provision of HIV/AIDS education for 16–19 year olds in colleges of further education and offers both qualitative and quantitative insights into the English approach to HIV/AIDS education for this age group. It outlines the findings from two pieces of research conducted in England by the Health Education Authority 16–19 HIV/AIDS Project.     

Developing an HIV/AIDS Education Curriculum for Takalani Sesame, South Africa's Sesame Street

The HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa has prompted a need for extensive efforts to educate citizens of all ages about the disease and ways of coping with its impact. This paper describes the process of developing an HIV/AIDS education curriculum for Takalani Sesame, an educational media project for young South African children. The process began with formative research with adults and children, and extensive discussions with HIV/AIDS health specialists. Guided by the research and advice from specialists, a team of educators developed a comprehensive curriculum that the Takalani Sesame production team will use to create HIV/AIDS education messages for television, radio and outreach materials for children ages 3-7 and the adults who care for them.     

Developing an HIV/AIDS Education Curriculum for Takalani Sesame,South Africa's Sesame Street

The HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa has prompted a need for extensive efforts to educate citizens of all ages about the disease and ways of coping with its impact. This paper describes the process of developing an HIV/AIDS education curriculum for Takalani Sesame, an educational media project for young South African children. The process began with formative research with adults and children, and extensive discussions with HIV/AIDS health specialists. Guided by the research and advice from specialists, a team of educators developed a comprehensive curriculum that the Takalani Sesame production team will use to create HIV/AIDS education messages for television, radio and outreach materials for children ages 3-7 and the adults who care for them.