Attitudes Towards HIV AIDS Campaigns in Uasin Gishu District, Kenya

Abstract

This paper examines the attitudes towards HIV/AIDS educators and their campaign programs in Uasin Gishu District of Kenya. Data was obtained through both observations and questionnaires administered to a sample of 238 male and female respondents aged between 15-55 years selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Study findings revealed that most of the respondents perceived the age, ethnic background, and dressing style of the educators positively. However, most of the respondents had a negative attitude towards the language used by the educators — especially that used when talking about major issues such as contraceptives and sexual terms — and the nature of the audience mix mainly adopted by the educators during the campaigns. The paper recommends that preliminary research be done before campaigns to establish the cultural value systems of the targeted audience. The need for educators to enhance their relationship with their audience by being perceived to be credible, competent, and trustworthy is also suggested. It was also suggested that there was a need for continuous monitoring and evaluation to establish the audience's reactions to adjust the programs to suit their needs without necessarily changing the HIV/AIDS messages.