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Influence Of Gender And Locality On The Attitude Of Adolescents Towards Aids
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The ravages of
the AIDS epidemic have made this disease the highest priority of our
health system. In the absence of a cure, or more effective prevention or
treatment, it was projected in 1993 (Chesney, 1993) that the world
could expect 30 to 40 million new cases by 2000 (Mann, 1991). These
projections are on tract or are proving to be underestimated
particularly in developing nations.
In 2000, the total number of
people living with HIV was estimated at 34.3 million, in the hardest hit
regions in Southern Africa, between 15% and 30% of the adults
population are believed to be HIV positive. Furthermore, the United
Nations estimated that at least 2 of every 5 girls and boys, who are 15
years old today, in the countries in Southern Africa, will die of AIDS
(Schwartlanders, Garnelt, walkers, and Anderson, 2000).
AIDS/HIV is a
disease which affects human immune system. AIDS has become the world’s
fourth leading cause of death and number one killer in Africa, where in
1998 it took 1.83 million lives (balter, 1999). AIDS as it name tells
us, is an immune disorder an acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which is spread by
exchange of bodily fluids, primarily semen and blood. AIDS/HIV kills
slowly; it ironically can be lethal to more people. When the HIV
infections becomes manifest as AIDS, some years after the initial
infection, the person has difficulty fighting off other diseases, such
as pneumolystis, pneumonia, cancer, dementia, or a wasting syndrome in
which the body literally withers away. Also after several months to
several years with no symptoms, patients may develop minor health
problems such as weight loss, fever, and night sweats, symptoms that
make up the condition known as AIDS-Related-Complex (ARC).
On June 5,
1981, the centers for disease control reported the first case of
acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). In the decades that
followed, AIDS grew from an unknown disease into a devastating worldwide
epidemic for which no medical cure has been found. According to the
world health organization (2002), about 16,000 new infections occur each
day. Worldwide, 1 in every 100 adults between the ages of 15 and 49 are
infected with the AIDS virus, and the disease has so far claimed the
lies of nearly 20 million people of the 3 million people who died from
AIDS in 2001, 37 percent were woman and 20 percent were children. In
some countries of Southern Africa, 25 to 40 percent of the population is
infected, including a third of all pregnant women. Globally, only 5 to
10 percent of the cases now occur in homosexual men (the population
typically identified with the Affliction), and women now make up half of
all HIV cases (United Nation, 2002). In the early 2000’s, the rate of
infection began to rise again among homosexual men in North America,
Europe and Australia due to increases in risky sexual behaviour (CDC,
2003). The AIDS epidemic threatens to overwhelm the words health care
financing and delivery systems.
AIDS is caused by the Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which cripples the immune system. The
patient then becomes vulnerable to invading viruses, bacteria, and
tumors, which are the actual killers. Because the AIDS virus evolves
rapidly, vaccines are at the present ineffective in preventing its
spread. Moreover, the incubation period between initial infection and
the appearance of the disease may be as long as 10 years, meaning that
an infected needles in intravenous drug use; and exposure to infected
blood through transfusion or in the womb.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]This study investigated Influence of Gender and Locality on the Attitude of Adolescent Towards ADIS. 100 were Adolescent randomly selected from urban and rural area for the study. The age range was between 15-19 years with a mean age of 17years. Attitude towards AIDS scale Comoluabi 1995 was used for data collection. 2´2 factorial design was used and a two way ANOVA was also adopted as a statistical test, findings showed no significant gender difference. Male and female share similar attitude ... Continue reading---
