Children's conceptions of AIDS, HIV and condoms: A study from Botswana

Abstract

This study aimed at exploring how young children in Botswana conceptualise AIDS, HIV and condoms. Data were collected from a sample of 75 children aged four to seven years who were asked to draw a picture about AIDS and tell a story about the drawing; this was followed by three questions in which participants were asked to explain what AIDS, HIV and a condom is. Narratives and responses were categorised and coded to enable statistical analysis. Most children had conceptions of AIDS (80.0%) and condoms (78.7%), but only 45.3% of HIV; the rationality attached to them varied widely at all ages. The results suggest that four- to seven-year-old children construct their own individual and unique meaning about AIDS, HIV and condoms and they also illustrate how children utilise their own experiences to arrive at their conclusions. Even when children narrated some correct HIV and AIDS information, their understanding of it contradicted its correct meaning. Children's interpretations of AIDS-related knowledge carried a potential for emotional distress. Many children had a negative conception of condoms associated with fear and the belief that a condom would cause illness and AIDS. The findings are of significance for parent education, HIV prevention education and for health care professionals providing antiretroviral treatment to children.

Keywords:

• Botswana
• children's conceptions
• condom use
• developmental psychology
• HIV and AIDS
• meaning making

Notes

1. Botswana is an upper-middle-income country in sub-Saharan Africa the size of France, with a population of 1.88 Mio. people; it implemented a rigorous HIV and AIDS prevention and intervention strategy that includes HIV education and cost-free antiretroviral therapy and prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

2. While this sampling method did not ensure a representative sample, one has to bear in mind that the Botswana Government enables cost-free access to tertiary education and provides living allowances to all academically deserving students regardless of their background. As a result, the majority of the students at the University are from a low socio-economic class, representing the majority of society.