Factors that affect awareness about the spread of HIV/AIDS in rural Lesotho

A stratified random sample of 401 participants was taken from three sites of study (Maluti, Seboche and Paray) in rural Lesotho in an attempt to study the relationship between awareness about HIV/AIDS and 55 socio-economic and demographic variables. Pearson's chi-square tests of association and logistic regression analysis were used to identify factors that strongly affected awareness about HIV/AIDS. Results showed that awareness about HIV/AIDS was strongly affected by willingness to change sexual behaviour, regular use of condoms, sexually transmitted diseases, number of sexual partners and knowledge of transmission of the HIV/AIDS virus. Recommendations were made to promote health education in rural Lesotho on safe sex and the use of home-based care for people living with the virus. Keywords: awareness; HIV/AIDS; association; odds ratio; home based care; Lesotho Health SA Gesondheid Vol. 11 (2) 2006: pp. 53-6