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Page 5 of 7 Original Research

disagreed with the statement that a woman loses a man’s (p = 0.049). More female students (n = 83) reported consistent
respect if she asks him to use a condom (96.8% of female condom usage (every time) with regular sex partners than
participants and 91.7% of male participants); that they only male students (n = 54); however, the difference was not
use condoms if their sexual partner wants to use them significant (p = 0.240) (Table 6).
(95.7% female participants and 86.3% of male participants);
and that condoms should only be used if having sex with a Discussion
person who is not the main sexual partner (94.6% of female
participants and 83.9% of male participants). About a third of South Africa is battling an HIV and AIDS pandemic, which
the students and 41.7% of the male students said that remains one of the primary social and health concerns in the
country. Notwithstanding the outstanding effort by the
condoms felt unnatural, and nearly a quarter of the students Department of Health in implementing HIV and AIDS
aged 20–32 years and 36.3% of the male students said that prevention strategies, South Africa is still the country worst
condoms alter climax or orgasm.
TABLE 6: Condom use among students.
Most participants had positive attitudes towards HIV-positive Variable Female Male p
people, but 38 (7%) participants were unwilling to be associated n % n %
with or share living space with people living with HIV. Based Condom use at last sex with a partner 0.001***
on the relative importance index score, the most important Yes 147 39.3 93 55.4
attitudes towards people living with HIV, ranked in order of No 227 60.7 75 44.6
relative importance, were: (1) About 83.4% of students indicated Consistent condom use with partners 0.240
that even if a family member had HIV, their relationship with Every time 83 38.8 54 42.5
them would remain good; (2) 20% of students said that sharing Almost every time 36 16.8 30 23.6
a house with HIV-positive people would be very difficult for Sometimes 31 14.5 18 14.2
them; and (3) 7.6% of students felt that people who get infected Never 31 14.5 11 8.7
with HIV are promiscuous. Forty-one (7.6%) students also said Do not know 33 15.4 14 11.0
they do not want to be associated with HIV-positive people, Condom use at last sex with a non-regular partner 71 62.8 0.002***
Yes
42.7
59
and 6.4% of students felt that HIV-negative people should No 79 57.3 42 37.2
not be allowed to socialise with HIV-positive people. Students Consistent condom use with a non-regular partner 0.049***
had positive attitudes towards treatment for HIV and AIDS. Every time 53 40.2 57 53.3
Around two-thirds (63.1%) of the students agreed that HIV Almost every time 11 8.3 13 12.2
treatment would keep an HIV-positive person alive (ranked the Sometimes 10 7.6 5 4.7
most important attitude). Two hundred and seventy-four Never 17 12.9 15 14.0
(50.8%) students agreed that HIV medication really works Do not know 41 31.1 17 15.9
(with a relative importance score of 2). Most of the respondents Condom use at last sex with a commercial sex worker 0.001***
(69% students) rejected the notion that antiretroviral (ARV) Yes 57 30.7 55 49.6
medication is poisonous (Table 5). No 129 69.3 56 50.4
Consistent condom use with a commercial sex worker 0.138
Every time 49 27.8 41 38.0
Condom use at last sex was higher when with a regular Almost every time 11 6.3 11 10.2
partner: female students (n = 147) and male students (n = 93). Sometimes 9 5.1 7 6.5
The difference is statistically significant (p < 0.001). Fewer Never 38 21.6 15 13.9
female students (n = 53) and male students (n = 57) reported Do not know 69 39.2 34 31.5
using condoms consistently with a non-regular partner ***, significant at p < 0.05.

TABLE 5: Attitudes of students towards people who are HIV-positive or have AIDS and HIV and/or AIDS treatment.
Statements Strongly Agree Neither agree Disagree Strongly Relative Rank
agree or disagree disagree importance
n % n % n % n % n % index
Attitudes of students towards people who are HIV-positive or have AIDS
I do not want to be associated with HIV-positive people 23 4.3 18 3.3 85 15.7 164 30.4 250 46.3 0.38 4
Even if a family member had HIV, my relationship with them 298 55.2 152 28.2 48 8.9 15 2.8 27 5.0 0.85 1
would remain good
Staying in the same house or hostel with HIV-positive people 38 7.0 70 13.0 140 25.6 117 21.7 175 32.4 0.48 2
would be extremely difficult for me
People who get infected with HIV are promiscuous 16 3.0 25 4.6 210 38.9 115 21.3 174 32.2 0.45 3
HIV-negative people should not be allowed to socialise with 22 4.1 13 2.4 52 9.6 67 12.4 386 71.5 0.27 5
HIV-positive people
Attitudes of students towards HIV treatment
I do not trust that HIV treatment works 23 4.3 26 4.8 165 30.6 173 32.0 153 28.3 0.45 3
HIV treatment will keep an HIV-positive person alive 119 22.0 222 41.1 137 25.4 39 7.2 23 4.3 0.74 1
You can share HIV treatment with your partner 14 2.6 27 5.0 144 26.7 105 19.4 250 46.3 0.40 4
ARVs are poisonous 16 3.0 23 4.3 127 23.5 93 17.2 281 52.0 0.38 5
HIV medicine really works 95 17.6 179 33.2 227 42.0 16 3.0 23 4.3 0.71 2
HIV and AIDS, human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; ARV, antiretroviral.

http://www.sajhivmed.org.za 135 Open Access