HIV/AIDS: Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs Among
                                         University of Botswana Undergraduate Students
 

A Summary of the conclusions and recommendations of the dissertation project which
was completed by Lucky Wakantse Odirile at Ohio University in June of 2000. This
summary was prepared by Professor Milton E. Ploghoft for posting on the website
of The African Educational Research Network.

Purpose and Plan of the Study
The purpose of the study was to examine the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of
undergraduate students at the University of Botswana toward HIV/AIDS. A total of 100
surveys was distributed of which 92 responses were returned. Ten undergraduate students
and six “professionals” were interviewed more than twice for periods of 30-60 minutes. The
interviews were taped for later analysis and identification of common themes. The surveys
and interviews dealt with seven research questions which will be presented in the conclusions
section of this summary. It was believed that this study would help in the identification of the
problems that contribute to the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS and contribute to devising and
implementing the planning of prevention strategies at the University of Botswana

Conclusions of the Study
Question One of the study concerned students’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs
regarding HIV/AIDS.  Student responses clearly indicate that they know what HIV/AIDS
is, how it can be transmitted and how it can be avoided. Their responses indicated, also,
that they believe student pregnancy rates at the University are very high, a situation that
contributes to the spread of HIV/AIDS. The fact that students know that unprotected sex is
no longer safe, they continue to indulge in it, sometimes with multiple partners. These
findings are consistent with a number of other reports in the literature. Significant negative
attitudes toward the disease, toward those affected, and a fear of the stigmatized group also emerged in the studies. There were fears expressed regarding eating and working with infected students although it was generally believed that infected students should be allowed to continue with their education.
There are certain beliefs in the form of cultural taboos and practices that help
aggravate the spread of HIV/AIDS in Botswana. Men who have been ill for lengthy periods
may be advised by traditional doctors to sleep with a virgin. In Tswana culture, long illness
is interpreted as the result of a spell or a curse rather than anything having to do with sexual
behavior. A long illness of a male may be attributed to his breaking of a taboo such as
sleeping with a woman in her menstrual period, having intercourse with a widow or with a
woman who has had a miscarriage. Societal pressure upon the females to be married by
a certain age have contributed to unprotected sex and the spread of HIV/AIDS as young
females seek to find a mate at almost any cost. The belief that males do not favor the
use of condoms, and the disregard of the woman’s preference for protected sex are seen
as further factors that contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Students and professionals alike believe that HIV/AIDS is spreading at an alarming
rate at the University of Botswana, the focus of the Second Question. The high number of
pregnancies out of wedlock, the availability of inexpensive alcohol and the belief in some
African cultures that a man’s achievement is measured by the number of sexual partners
and children they have were seen as contributors to the spread of  HIV/AIDS on campus.
Other researchers have reported that children give an African woman status which is seen
as a factor contributing to unprotected sex.
Students responses concerning how they attended to the danger of HIV/AIDS,
the third Research Question, revealed their awareness of the free condoms provided by
the University of Botswana, and by government hospitals and clinics. Students were
reluctant to reveal whether they used condoms and avoided probing of this question.
University programs such as daily AIDS videos, an HIV/AIDS organization and the
formation of an HIV/AIDS health committee were generally unused or unknown by
most of the students.
What reasons do the students have for not acting on their knowledge ? Was the
fourth research question. Their responses were varied but a common response was that
they have a problem with putting into practice what they know, enabling them to deny
the risks and continuing to indulge in sexual experimentation. The female students pointed
out that females do not have as much power over sexual issues as men and they struggle
in efforts to convince their men about what is right. Females repeated their concern with
the pressures placed on them by parents and society to marry and bear children, and the
acceptable cultural practice which encourages older men to have sexual relations with
younger women. They felt that women need empowerment and legal protection due to
the abuses that they often suffer.
The students felt that the removal of the bar and alcoholic beverages from the
campus and the placement of free condoms in hostels and toilets rather than in the clinic
would motivate them to act on their knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS and safe sex. They
feel, also, that it would be motivating if the students affected by HIV/AIDS were to come
out and disclose their health status. The HIV/AIDS story would be more powerful if it
were told by those who are experiencing the condition. Finally, the professionals who were
included in the interviews, recommend that faculty members and other professionals who
indulge in sexual behavior with students should have their services terminated as a way of
reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS on campus. These responses dealt with the fifth research
question concerning motivation to act on knowledge.
Data collected indicates that far more students first learned about HIV/AIDS at
the junior secondary level than at any other level. These respondents reported that the
instruction was more threatening than constructive. Smaller numbers of students first
learned about HIV/AIDS in secondary school and a smaller number yet at university level
which may be too late for some. Although the Ministry of Education has mandated that
HIV/AIDS be included in the schools curriculum, the question of implementation looms
large in view of the societal constraints on open treatment of the topic as well as the
lack of well informed teachers in this special area of health education. The role of the family
was seen as minimal since many parents feel that if they expose their children to sexual
information, they may be tempted to experiment.( Research question six)
The students reported that their channels of communication about HIV/AIDS
came from the media, radio and television. The large majority (75%) did not hear about
AIDS at the primary school level. (Research question seven).

Recommendations
1. Health education programs which deal with the HIV/AIDS crisis must be
comprehensive and continuous, beginning at primary school levels and extending beyond
formal education to reach parents and other adults in the larger community.

2. The initiatives in HIV/AIDS education that are taken at the University of
Botswana should be the sources of models that can be adapted to other educational
levels and to the larger community of families and adults.

3. Seminars, workshops and conferences will provide communication platforms
for students at the University and will be relevant for use at wider school and community
levels.

4. The gender gap calls for the empowerment of women in the exploration of the
issues that affect them and their legal rights to protection from abuse in workplace and
school. It is time for the University of Botswana to consider providing women’s condoms
and any other form of protection that will give women more control

5. The socio-cultural context of HIV/AIDS with respect to taboos, beliefs and
cultural expectations should be explored and the traditional healers and chiefs should
join with medical professionals in the task of developing educational programs that
will be up to the challenge.

6. Collaboration amongst universities, health organizations and educational
specialists should be built  across national boundaries in the conceptualization and
implementation of comprehensive programs of research, prevention, treatment and
special education needed to defeat the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Note: Dr. Lucky Odirile will return to the University of Botswana in late September of
this year, 2000. Inquiries may be directed to her at the College of Education at the
University of Botswana, Gabarone, Botswana. Professor Ploghoft may be reached
at his e-mail address<ploghoft@ohiou.edu> and will assist interested persons in making
contact with Dr. Odirile.
Cl