the influence of social meaning of hiv/aids treatment on hiv/aids prevention strategies among the youth in eldoret town- kenya: a case study of moi and kisii university students.

Abstract

HIV/AIDS continues to be a major socioeconomic and medical problem affecting many youths in Kenya. Great medical advancements have seen its status decline from a fatal to a manageable, chronic disease. Despite this, it still has no cure. Prevention still remains core in mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS. Guided by social construction theory, this study investigated the influence of social meanings of HIV/AIDS treatment on HIV/AIDS prevention using ABC strategies among the youth in Eldoret town, Kenya. Specifically, the study examined how the youth make meanings of HIV/AIDS treatment and how these meanings influence their practice of safe sex using ABC strategies. Data for this study was collected from 50 youths who were selected through snowball sampling and direct approach using in-depth interviews. Augmentative data was also collected from four key informants who were purposively selected and three focused groups involving the youths were held. Data from In-depth interviews, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were transcribed verbatim and then thematically analyzed. Findings of the study showed that the youth had diverse social meanings of HIV/AIDS treatment depending on age, gender, religious affiliation, level of formal education, sexual activity, future career path and perception of HIV/AIDS risk. These social meanings of HIV/AIDS treatment were; HIV/AIDS treatment as management of illness, HIV/AIDS treatment as cure of the illness, HIV/AIDS treatment as no cure for illness and HIV/AIDS treatment as unnecessary evil. These social meanings were further found to influence the practice of safe sex using ABC through the various forms of treatment associated with the youth meanings of HIV/AIDS treatment in relation to their socialized practice of sexuality. The study recommends that the youth should be provided with appropriate information on HIV/AIDS prevention strategies depending with their context and that the young people should be provided with accurate and adequate knowledge about HIV/AIDS prevention to enable them make informed choices on sexual matters.