Awareness On HIV Prevention and Behavior Change Among the People Who Come for Counsellig and Testing in Kisozi Parish, Maddu Sub-County — Gomba District

ABSTRACT This study explored the awareness on Hiv prevention and behavior change among the people who come for counseling and testing in Kisozi parish in Gomba district.This was after the realization that Hiv /Aids pandemic is still a major challenge in global health with over 35 million people living with the disease.The study specifically sought to achieve the following objectives;to investigate the most common ways of Hiv/Aids transmission; to find out the various awareness and behavior change strategies employed to prevent the spread of Hiv in Maddu subcounty; and to relate awareness and behavior change in the prevention of Hiv/Aids. To achieve the stated objectives, the study was guided by the following research questions: What are the most common ways of l—liv /Aids transmission? What strategies are employed to prevent the spread of Hiv/Aids in Maddu Sub-county? What is the relationship between awareness and behavior change in the prevention of the spread of Hiv in Maddu sub-county? The study design took the form of a case study of Gomba district in Kisozi parish where Hiv spread is at a high rate. The study also involved purposive sampling in which the data sought was qualitative. A Sample of 60 respondents was purposively sampled which included health workers, Hiv/Aids clients, activists and agencies, religious leaders and cultural leaders , local leaders as well. The data was collected using interviews and questionnaires .The data was analyzed qualitatively through the literal description and narrations of the emerging issues out of which opinions and conclusions were drawn. The study established that the most common and widely known ways of Hiv transmission are sexual transmission, transmission through blood, and mother to child transmission. The study also revealed that people who are infected with Hiv need knowledge and support their own health and to ensure that they do not transmit it to others and this is known as positive transmission. The study also revealed Hiv prevention strategies such as encouraging the youths to delay sexual debut, empowering female sex workers as clients to use condoms or promoting the uptake of Hiv counseling and testing.