This survey was conducted to describe the awareness, attitudes and behaviours regarding HIV
Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) among students of the University of KwaZulu-Natal
in the Howard College Campus residences.
A quantitative descriptive study design and a simple random sampling technique were used in
this study. One hundred and seventy - eight students who lived in residences of Howard
College Campus voluntarily participated in the study and completed the anonymous
questionnaires. The questions in the questionnaire were designed to collect the demographics
information of the participants and to address their awareness, attitudes and behaviours
regarding VCT.
Analysis of findings revealed that the level of awareness of VCT was high among the
students. The majority of the participants have heard of VCT before this survey and knew that
campus clinic provided VCT service. To students, the two most major sources of VCT
information were TV/radio and friends/classmates. A positive attitude towards VCT was
found among the students. The participants perceived the benefits and importance of
undergoing VCT as well as the value of counselling. Sixteen percent of all participants have
received VCT and twenty - two percent intended to go for VCT within the following 6
months. The main reasons cited by students for undergoing VCT included: to know their
health status, to recognize the risk to be exposed to HIV, and to seek for information about
maintaining health. The main reasons for not seeking VCT were assuming their HIV status
negative and unlikely exposure to HIV because they always practised safe sex. A need for
VCT information was found in this study. Some barriers to VCT existed, such as perception
of negative consequences of uptake of VCT (e.g. HIV - related stigma), low risk perception
to HIV infection, and lack of VCT information.
The findings suggest that there is a need for communication campaigns at the University of
KwaZulu-Natal, to address knowledge gaps, reduction of stigma, and promoting awareness of
vulnerability to HIV. The findings of this study could be used to assist to plan HIV prevention
programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/10645 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Xing, Ying. |
| Contributors | Adejumo, Oluyinka. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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