RESUMEN
The main research question in this article is how access to information about HIV/AIDS and level of HIV/AIDS prevention related knowledge are distributed among disabled people, and whether level of knowledge predicts access to HIV/AIDS related services. A survey was carried out among a sample of 285 disabled people from three provinces in South Africa. Analyses of the data revealed that gender and level of education, together with geographical differences, are key predictors for access to information and knowledge about HIV/AIDS among disabled people. For male respondents number of information sources predicts access to voluntary counselling and testing services and HIV testing, while knowledge about prevention predicts access to Voluntary Counselling and Testing centres. Significant gender differences with regards to information, knowledge and access to services highlight the need for gender specific prevention strategies among disabled people.
Asunto(s)
Personas con Discapacidad , Infecciones por VIH/prevención & control , Educación en Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Conocimientos, Actitudes y Práctica en Salud , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida/diagnóstico , Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida/prevención & control , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Consejo/estadística & datos numéricos , Femenino , Infecciones por VIH/diagnóstico , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Factores Sexuales , Sudáfrica , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
PURPOSE: The international literature suggests that disabled people may be at increased risk for HIV infection. There is a growing increasing recognition of this in South Africa, although there remains a paucity of literature on how disabled people are affected by HIV/AIDS. This is a concern given the seriousness of the epidemic here. This paper reports on descriptive data exploring gender differences in HIV knowledge and unsafe sexual behaviours among disabled individuals in South Africa. METHOD: Data was collected by means of a survey questionnaire from a total sample of 285 disabled individuals in three of the nine provinces in South Africa. Data was analysed by means of descriptive statistics. RESULTS: There are low levels and uncertainty of knowledge about HIV transmission and HIV prevention, with females tending to have lower levels of knowledge than males. Although the importance of condoms in HIV prevention was recognised, there were relatively high levels of reported unsafe sexual behaviours. Males reported higher number of monogamous and concurrent sexual partnerships and sex without a condom after alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the literature that suggests that disabled people are at risk for HIV infection, and that both male and female individuals with disability are at risk.