Persuasive Factors that Influence High School Youth in their Response to the Abstinence and Condom use Messages in the Context of HIV and AIDS

Abstract

Kenya is reported as having 7% of the world's HIV and AIDS affected people (Muraah & Kiarie, 2001). The country has thus witnessed many people getting infected, others dying and many children orphaned. Consequently, health communicators have engaged in rigorous campaigns in a bid to educate the people on the transmission of HIV virus and its prevention. Unfortunately, many studies indicate that the level of knowledge that the people have does not always translate to behaviour change. This study explored the factors that influence the youth in their response to the HIV and AIDS preventive messages. The sample was drawn from the rural youth among the day secondary schools in Murang'a District, Kenya. A total of 277 students participated by filling in the survey questionnaires. Two gender-based focus groups were carried out with some sixteen students who participated in the survey. Two interviews were also carried out with the teachers in charge of guidance and counselling in the selected schools. The results show that the youth have a high level of knowledge on the HIV and AIDS infection. However, having knowledge on HIV and AIDS did not automatically translate to behaviour change. The study revealed that the knowledge/behaviour gap was caused by the youth not fully perceiving the seriousness of the HIV and AIDS infection, while others were aware that the youth are the most vulnerable to the infection but they did not think that they were personally susceptible to the infection. At the same time some of the youth did not believe in the practice of abstinence and condom use, while others lived under great pressure from their peers to engage in premarital sex. The study revealed that response of the youth to the abstinence message was influenced by the perceived threat of contracting HIV and AIDS one's ability to say 'no to sex', and their Christian faith. At the same 34 Abstracts time the youth's response to the condom use message was influenced by their self-efficacy. However, for both the abstinence and condom use messages to be adopted by the youth, there is a need to remove the perceived barriers that hinder behaviour change.