title: Teachers' confidence in teaching HIV/AIDS and sexuality in South African and Tanzanian schools.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate how confident and comfortable teachers at Tanzanian and South African urban and rural schools are in teaching HIV/AIDS and sexuality. It also aimed at identifying factors associated with teacher confidence and investigated how reported confidence was associated with the implementation of educational programmes on HIV/AIDS and sexuality.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was conducted among South African grade 8 and 9 Life Orientation teachers, and among science teachers for grade 5 to 7 in public primary schools in Tanzania. Teachers' confidence levels were measured on a four-item scale (0-3).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total number of 266 teachers participated in a survey in 86 schools in South Africa and Tanzania. Overall, teachers report to be rather confident in teaching HIV/AIDS and sexuality. Tanzanian teachers reported higher levels of confidence then did their South Africa colleagues (2.1 vs. 1.8; p < 0.01). Confidence in teaching was significantly associated with the numbers of years teaching HIV/AIDS and sexuality, formal training in these subjects, experience in discussing the topics with others, school policy and priority given to teaching HIV/AIDS and sexuality at school. Finally, confidence in teaching remained positively associated with self-reported successful implementation of school-based programmes after adjusting for gender, age, religion and numbers of years teaching HIV/AIDS and sexuality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Across urban and rural sites in South Africa and Tanzania teachers reported to be fairly confident in teaching HIV/AIDS and sexuality. Further strengthening of their confidence levels could, however, be an important measure for improving the implementation of such programmes.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Prevention of Global Infections, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway. arnfinn.helleve@medisin.uio.no
authors.forename: Arnfinn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Helleve
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Flisher
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Onya
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaaya
authors.forename: Wanjiru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mukoma
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Swai
authors.forename: Knut-Inge
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Klepp
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools; D012649:Self Concept; D012736:Sex Education; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology; D013663:Teaching