Social Cultural Barriers to Prevention of HIV and AIDS among HIV-Sero Positive Adults in Kenya
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Date
2020
Authors
Ngige, Lucy W.
Kieru, Jane N.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
East African Scholars Publisher
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate socio-cultural barriers to prevention
of HIV and AIDS in the context of gender based violence among people living with HIV
and AIDS in Thika Sub-County, Kenya. The Health Belief Model and General systems
Theory guided the study. A survey of 239 randomly selected respondents from randomly
selected support groups for people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) was conducted.
Data were collected by use of interview schedules, focus group discussions and key
informant interviews. The data were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative
methods. Results showed that HIV prevention was impended by interplay of factors which
seemed to emanate from gender power imbalances. The barriers which were paramount
comprised condom refusal (40.3%), alcohol abuse (38.2%), stigma and discrimination
(35.7%), financial constraints (28.1%), condom fatigue (23.5%), lack of female condoms
(17.6%) ignorance and non-acceptance of one‟s HIV sero-positive status (15.1%). Other
minor barriers included people‟s curiosity (5.0%), peer influence (2.9%), desire to have
more children (2.5%), having multiple partners (2.1%) and lack of protective materials
(1.7%). The study also establised that there were gender based violence meted against men
and women which included: sexual violence in form of forced sex, denial of sexual
intimacy, abandonment by sexual partner, physical violence, psychological violence,
economic violence, stigma, discrimination and community social isolation among PLWHA.
It was recommended that there was need for community based intervention programs
targeting PLWHA to address socio-cultural barriers that impede self-efficacy in the
prevention of HIV and AIDS and thereby reduce gender-based violence among People
Living with HIV and AIDS.
Description
article
Keywords
Socio-Cultural Barriers, Gender based violence, HIV and AIDS Prevention, Sexual behaviour, Reproductive behavior, PLWHA, Kenya.
Citation
Ngige, L. W., & Kieru, J. N. (2020). Social Cultural Barriers to Prevention of HIV and AIDS among HIV-Sero Positive Adults in Kenya.