The level of hiv/aids awareness among secondary school students and their perception of selected Kipsigis cultural practices in the spread of HIV/Aids in Belgut Division, Kericho District

Abstract

HIV/AIDS has continued to ravage the human population and Kenya has felt the brunt of the scourge. The situation has become more threatening as more youth are infected daily and others die. The upsurge of HIV/AIDS among school going youth is not only alarming but poses a serious threat to human resource development and economic growth of this country. The economy of a country depends on the productivity of its citizens. With a healthy population the country can realise economic growth since everyone will take part in production. The farms will be productive and those working in institutions like schools will maximise their man-hours accordingly and therefore finances directed to the right points of production. In Kenya with the advent of the HIV/AIDS a lot of man-hours have been lost, with the productive members being medically unfit to work. The finances meant for economic growth is now directed to medical care and support of the sick. This has also affected students in various ways, some lack school fees due to loss of parents to the pandemic; others remain at home to take care of the sick. Among the predisposing factors to HIV/AIDS infections are some cultural practices. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of awareness about HIV/AIDS among secondary school students and their perceptions towards selected cultural Kipsigis practices thought to predispose the community to HIV/AIDS. The population for this study will consist of 3,900 Form 3 secondary school students in Belgut Division from the Kipsigis community. They are purposely selected because of their knowledge of the Kipsigis cultural practices. The respondents were selected using stratified random sampling, stratified by gender in mixed schools. The respondents were then selected using simple random sampling to arrive at the required sample of 400 students (205 boys and 195girls). The data was collected using self-administered questionnaires and interview schedules. The instruments were piloted in Ainamoi division to establish the reliability which should be above the required index of 0.70 in social sciences. The validity of the instruments was established with the help of five experts from the department of Educational Administration and planning. The independent variables to be studied will include cultural practices and belief systems; Circumcision, clitoridectomy, tattooing, dental extraction, wife inheritance, and polygamy. The findings of the study indicated that secondary school students are aware of the dangers of HIV/AIDS and prefer abstinence as a protection measure. These results are intended to sensitize the community on cultural practices which predisposes them to HIV/AIDS infections. It can also be useful to school administrators, policy makers and those in charge of guidance and counselling.