<p>The aim of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the impact of a health education intervention on knowledge about HIV/Hepatitis B transmission, attitudes, beliefs and intentions towards condom use. Research has shown tht small group discussion, single sex groups, age proximity of health educators, and HIV prevention integrated in the broader sexual health context, increased the effectiveness of health education with regard to safer sexual practices.</p>

Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2010 / This study measures the relationship between the AIDS risk reduction model (ARRM) variables associated with HIV related risk behaviours on learners from a South African rural community. A cross-sectional study was conducted using 308 learners in a Limpopo rural high school to identify HIV risk behaviours. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression to test the usefulness of ARRM variables in predicting sexual risk. Sexual risk was measured as; (a) vaginal sex without a condom, (b) anal sex without a condom (c) number of sexual partners in the last twelve months and (d) time taken before having sex with a new partner. Two of the ARRM variables, that is perceived susceptibility and sexual response efficacy, were found to be the most important predictors of HIV related risk behaviours. There is an argent need for effective preventive activities in rural areas, especially through school-based interventions. Key words: ARRM HIV HIV prevention Risk behaviors

<p>The aim of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the impact of a health education intervention on knowledge about HIV/Hepatitis B transmission, attitudes, beliefs and intentions towards condom use. Research has shown tht small group discussion, single sex groups, age proximity of health educators, and HIV prevention integrated in the broader sexual health context, increased the effectiveness of health education with regard to safer sexual practices.</p>

Magister Public Health - MPH / The aim of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the impact of a health education intervention on knowledge about HIV/Hepatitis B transmission, attitudes, beliefs and intentions towards condom use. Research has shown tht small group discussion, single sex groups, age proximity of health educators, and HIV prevention integrated in the broader sexual health context, increased the effectiveness of health education with regard to safer sexual practices. / South Africa

Magister Legum - LLM

Thesis (M.Sc.) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / Purpose of the study The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of couples on disclosure of their HIV-positive status to each other. Research methodology Qualitative, Phenomenology, exploratory descriptive and contextual research was conducted to identify the experiences and to determine the strategies that address non-disclosure of couples on their HIV-positive status. The population comprised 12 participants (six (6) couples). Purposive sampling was used to select eight (8) participants (four (4) couples) who participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data until data saturation was reached. Study findings Data were analysed using Tesch’s open-coding method. Five themes emerged, namely, fear of being HIV-positive, disclosure of HIV-positive status is a difficult process, acceptance of HIV-positive status, relations between partners post knowledge of HIV-positive results and encouragement pertaining to disclosure of HIV-positive status. Strategies were developed to address the experiences identified. Recommendations were made for the Department of Health, clinic staff, future researchers, patients and community members. Conclusion Although couples disclosed their status to one another disclosure was found to be a difficult process. Acceptance of HIV status was also found to be one of the challenges that led to delayed disclosure of the status. Support system from both family and community is a very important factor which might increase HIV status acceptance and disclosure from couples. Keywords: Couples, experiences, disclosure, HIV-positive status.

Thesis (PhD (Physics))--Stellenbosch University, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation investigates certain key aspects of mathematical modeling of HIV and TB epidemics in South Africa with particular emphasis on data from a single well-studied community. Data collected over a period of 15 years (1994 to 2009) in Masiphumelele, a township near Cape Town, South Africa are used to develop a community-level mathematical model of the local HIV-TB epidemic. The population is divided into six compartments and a system of di®erential equations is derived to describe the spread of the dual epidemic. Our numerical results suggest that increased access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) could decrease not only the HIV prevalence, but also the TB noti¯cation rate. We present a modeling framework for studying the statistical properties of °uctuations in models of any population of a similar size. Viewing the epidemic as a jump process, the method entails an expansion of a master equation in a small parameter; in this case in inverse powers of the square root of the population size. We derive two-time correlation functions to study the correlation between di®erent types of active TB events, and show how a temporal element could be added to the de¯nition of TB clusters, which are currently de¯ned solely by DNA type. We add age structure to the HIV-TB model in order to investigate the demographical impact of HIV-TB epidemics. Our analysis suggests that, contrary to general belief, HIV-positive cases are not making a substantial contribution to the spread of TB in Masiphumelele. We develop an age-structured model of the HIV-TB epidemic at a national level in order to study the potential impact of a proposed universal test and treat program for HIV on dual HIV-TB epidemics. Our simulations show that generalized ART could signi¯cantly reduce the TB noti¯cation rate and the TB-related mortality rate in the short term. The timescale of the impact of ART on HIV prevalence is likely to be longer. We study the potential impact of more conventional control measures against HIV. Guidance for possible future and/or additional interventions emerge naturally from the results. We advocate a reduction in intergenerational sex, based on our ¯nding that 1.5-2.5 standard deviation in the age di®erence between sexual partners is necessary to create and sustain a major HIV epidemic. A simulation framework is developed to help quantify variance in age-structured epidemic models. The expansion technique is generalized to derive a Fokker-Planck equation. Directions for future work, particularly in terms of developing methods to model °uctuations and validate mixing assumptions in epidemiological models, are identi¯ed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek aspekte van die wiskundige modelering van HIV en TB epi- demies in Suid Afrika en fokus ook op 'n spesi¯eke gemeenskap. Data wat oor 'n periode van 15 jaar ingesamel is (1994 tot 2009) in Masiphumelele, 'n woonbuurt naby Kaapstad, Suid Afrika word gebruik om 'n wiskundige model te skep wat HIV-TB in die gemeen- skap modeleer. Die populasie word in ses kompartemente verdeel en 'n stel di®erensiaal vergelykings word afgelei om die verspreiding van di¶e epidemies te ondersoek. Ons nu- meriese resultate toon aan dat verhoogde toegang tot antiretrovirale behandeling (ARB) die potensiaal het om HIV prevalensie die TB koers beduidend te laat daal. Ons ontwikkel 'n raamwerk waarmee die statistiese eienskappe van °uktuasies ondersoek kan word in enige populasie van dieselfde grootte. Die metode ontwikkel 'n meester vergelyking vir die on- derliggende geboorte-dood stogastiese proses en brei dit uit in terme van 'n klein parameter; in di¶e geval in inverse magte van die vierkantswortel van die populasie grootte. Die twee-tyd korrelasie funksies word afgelei, en word gebruik om die korrelasie tussen verskillende tipes van TB episodes te bestudeer, asook om te wys hoe 'n tydselement aan die de¯nisie van TB groeperings gegee kan word. Di¶e word tans slegs d.m.v DNA tipe geklassi¯seer. Ouderdom- struktuur word aan die model toegevoeg om die demogra¯ese impak van HIV-TB epidemies te bestudeer. Ons analise toon aan dat, anders as wat algemeen aanvaar word, maak HIV- positiewe gevalle nie 'n groot bydrae tot die verspreiding van TB in Masiphumelele nie. Ons ontwikkel 'n ouderdom-gestruktureerde model van HIV-TB op nasionale vlak en gebruik die model om die potensiÄele impak van 'n universele toets- en behandel strategie op die HIV-TB epidemies te ondersoek. Ons simulasies toon aan dat algemene ARB waarskynlik 'n groot impak op die TB aanmeldings koers asook die TB-verwante mortaliteits koers kan h^e binne 'n relatiewe kort tydperk. Die impak op HIV prevalensie sal eers oor 'n veel langer periode duidelik word. Ons ondersoek ook die moontlikheid van meer konvensionele beheermaa- treels. Ons ontmoedig tussengenerasie seksuale omgang, gegrond op ons bevinding dat 'n standaard afwyking van 1.5-2.5 in die ouderdoms verskil tussen seksuele vennote, nodig is om 'n HIV epidemie van stapel te stuur en te onderhou. Ons ontwikkel 'n simulasie raamwerk om variansie in ouderdomgestruktureerde modelle te benader. Die uitbreidingstegniek word veralgemeen om 'n Fokker-Planck vergelyking af te lei. Ons identi¯seer probleme in die on- twikkeling van metodes om interaksie patrone en °uktuasies te modeleer in epidemiologiese modelle as opgawe vir toekomstige werk.

Thesis (MPA) --University of Limpopo, 2007 / HIV and AIDS pandemic poses a threat to both poor and rich communities alike. Communities face a developmental challenge as HIV and AIDS kills the lives of people who should improve their socio-economic position. It destroys both the Constitutional rights to life and human dignity. This is seen when people get sick and lose their potential to contribute to the development of their communities. The Fetakgomo communities, in the Limpopo Province, face the same challenge of fighting the pandemic for their social and economic development without sufficient resources. This study focuses on the socio-economic impact of HIV and AIDS on community development in Fetakgomo Municipality, Limpopo Province. Fetakgomo communities are situated about ± 90 km, South of Burgersfort. These communities are mostly poor and rural. The researcher used non-probability purposive sampling for this study. Three communities were selected and their leaders were chosen to participate in the study. Through qualitative research, the qualitative data were obtained through person to-person interviews and focus group interviews. The results of the study indicate that the social lives of community members are disrupted through death from the pandemic. In the two communities – Ga-Nchabeleng and Mohlaletse – there are orphans who are created by the pandemic. There is also a problem of lack of social cohesion created by prejudice around the disease, which raises a challenge in fighting the pandemic in the three villages. The issue of confidentiality compounds the situation in fighting the pandemic among members of the three communities as people are not open to talk freely about the impact of the pandemic on their lives. Economically, the pandemic is impacting on a few families that lose their incomes and are unable to buy electric services. The final results indicate that the impact of the pandemic is arguably very low. The communities are shown not to be doing enough to fight the impact of the pandemic. Even if the three communities are economically poor, the pandemic does not have serious impact on their material possessions. There is no real economic impact as members of the three communities are poor and at the same time a few families are affected in terms of losing their incomes. The impact of the pandemic is only experienced on the social lives where it breeds prejudice and secrecy among the people.

The researcher is propelled and motivated by the Minister of Public Service Association, Geraldine Frasser-Moleketi, recognising the serious nature of HIV and AIDS and its impact on South Africa when she initiated the Impact and Action Project in January 2000, which was aimed at ensuring that Public Service is able to sustain a quality service in spite of pandemic: AIDS. The apprehension of writing on the theme is to enlighten both the employer and employees with their obligations, rights and legal framework in the management of the pandemic: AIDS within the employment perspective. The eminence of the study is based on the participation of management and their intervention, because without their involvement, AIDS deaths translate into lost productivity, increased high rate of absenteeism, short or long illnesses, and lower morale of employees and hampering of rendering of services. The study comprises of five chapters, containing the orientation of the study; literature review; research design and methodology; data analysis and results and summary, findings and recommendation, respectively. The instrument employed to gather data was applied in five regions, and data is gathered from a target sample of 96 out of 2084 employees. Please note in order to avoid the continuous use of "HN and AIDS", virus, epidemic, disease or cumbersome descriptions, the noun pandemic: AIDS, will be used and will denote "HIV and AIDS". / MBA (HRM) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2005

Magister Artium - MA / This study investigated the societal perception of refugee men as being a risk group, being polluted and the consequent risk of HIV infection they might face. It also determined the factors that could expose them to the risk of HIV infection while living in exile in South Africa. / South Africa