Scoring the HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign Goal: Evidence from a Historically Disadvantaged Higher Education Institution in South Africa

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns on the sexual behaviour of students at the University of Fort Hare, Alice campus. The research was specifically aimed at establishing whether HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns are exerting any significant changes on the sexual behaviour of students at the University of Fort Hare. The research was informed by the health belief model and its variables namely, perceived threats, perceived barriers and self efficacy. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies was employed and semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data. High perceived threats observed among the students helped in reaching at the conclusion that HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns at the University of Fort Hare are positively impacting on the sexual behaviour of students basing results on the sample of respondents used in the study. However the research showed high perceived barriers when it comes to voluntary counselling and testing. Respondents also showed that they were afraid of stigmatisation if they go for VCT and found out that they were HIV positive. Since the health belief model states that high perceived barriers will lead people to avoid health risking behaviour and readily indulge in risky sexual behaviour, we argue that HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns have failed to a certain extend in terms of promoting safe sexual. It is against this background that we argue that due to HIV/AIDS misconceptions and other HIV/AIDS myths discovered there is need for a paradigm shift in awareness campaigns for them to be multidimensional. The article also recommends that to improve the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns in reducing barriers related to VCT, there is need to constantly send awareness messages to students wherever and whenever necessary and not just during the campaigns.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n6p295