Abstract

Globally, Nigeria has the second largest prevalence of HIVAIDS in the world. However, limited studies have focused attention on the knowledge, attitude and sources of information of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Nigeria. This study explored the depth of knowledge, attitude and sources of information among HIV/AIDS positive patients at Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Nigeria. The in-depth interview among the PLWHA revealed that they have different misconceptions on HIV/AIDS prior to the discovery of their health status. Also, the PLWHA have vague information on HIV/AIDS before testing positive to the infection. Therefore, they considered the information that they received through the medical personnel in the hospital, support groups, HIV seminars and workshops as better channels for up-to-date information on HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, information disseminated through the traditional mass media was regarded as vague and obsolete.  Some informants do not use condoms during sexual intercourse with their spouses and lovers because of their inability to disclose their status to their partners for fear of stigmatisation. The study concludes that there is a need for strategically designed HIV/AIDS campaign to meet the sensitive needs of PLWHA. It is expedient for mass media to strategically design HIV/AIDS messages for PLWHA in Nigeria through partnership with medical personnel and support groups.

Key Words: Knowledge, Attitude, Sources of Information, HIV/AIDS, Campaign 

^JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 7, No. 2, October 2015, 49 – 60 

©Delmas Communications Ltd.

About the authors

*Kehinde Kadijat Kadiri is a lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.

**Dr. Mohd Kharie Ahmad, Ph.D. is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Multimedia Technology and Communication, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia.

***Prof. Che Su Mustafa, Ph.D. is a Professor at the School of Multimedia Technology and Communication, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia.

****Kamal Tunde Omopupa is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Information Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus, South Africa.

Full Article

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