Young people's understanding of HIV: a qualitative study among school students in Mankweng, South Africa.
OBJECTIVE
This article describes young people's interpretation of HIV, AIDS and sexually transmitted illness in a rural South African community in Mankweng, Limpopo Province.


METHODS
The study was based on 19 focus group discussions with adolescents aged 12-14 years.


RESULTS
Our participants had limited knowledge about HIV from a biomedical perspective. Their understanding and interpretations of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases were largely informed by traditional and religious belief systems that explain how and why people contract an illness via sexual intercourse. Based on these interpretations, they also expressed distrust towards the medical health system, and where to go for care, support and treatment. Local traditional healers were often mentioned as the only people who could cure several of the sexually transmitted diseases described by our informants.


CONCLUSIONS
The ways of understanding HIV, AIDS and other sexually transmitted illnesses may weaken efforts of health education interventions based solely on a medical and modern notion of disease. The authors emphasise the importance of exploring traditional and religious belief systems and taking these into account when planning and designing behaviour change interventions.
Ragnarsson
Anders
A
Division of International Health (IHCAR), Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute Stockholm, Sweden. anders.ragnarsson@ki.se
Onya
Hans E
HE
Aarø
Leif Edvard
LE
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002648:Child; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D012067:Religion; D012574:Schools; D012736:Sex Education; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires