Sexual Health Communication Strategies and HIV/AIDS Awareness among Students in Teachers’ Colleges in Central Uganda

Abstract

Background: There are about 34 million Ugandans (UBOS 2016) of which 7% adults are living with HIV/AIDS. Although the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among the youth is estimated at 3.7% relatively lower than in adults, about 60% of the Ugandans are youth hence more than 50% of Uganda’s total population is at risk of HIV/AIDS infection. Therefore creating awareness among the youth on HIV/AIDS is the key to reducing its spread. Central to awareness creation is ensuring that knowledge on HIV/AIDS is passed through appropriate sexual health communication strategies. Methods of awareness are implemented to the built concept in the prevention of AIDS, with short street dramas, songs and distributing pamphlets at various organizations etc. Teachers, the counsellers of the society have also taken initiative in generating AIDS-related awareness. Despite the existence of provisions for communicating HIV/AIDS, still, there is limited literature found on sexual health communication strategies used by PTCs and awareness of HIV/AIDS among students, teachers, and trainees in Uganda. Therefore this Cross-sectional survey study was performed at Primary teachers colleges in central Uganda in 2014 with aim of establishing the relationship between three sexual health communication strategies namely: guidance and counseling, school-based talk shows on stigma and discrimination of children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS and integration of HIV/AIDS in teaching and awareness. For the study 216 students, teachers, trainees were selected along with 6 principals and 12 tutors. The semi-structured questionnaire was completed. In conclusion, it has been found that all of them are well aware regarding the AIDS preventive measures but fail to conceptualize regarding transmitting methods and symptoms.