Knowledge and Attitudes About AIDS/HIV in a Semi-Nomadic Population in Somaliland

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge concerning HIV transmission and the attitudes towards AIDS among a rural semi-nomadic community in Somaliland. Cross-sectional survey. Questionnaire-based interviews were conducted via a household survey in Sharmake, a village in the Hargeisa district, Somaliland. 141 adults living within 7km of the village center were asked to complete the survey. Questions about HIV transmission as well as attitudes towards those afflicted were included. The majority of respondents (91%) had heard of AIDS. Most respondents demonstrated a low to moderate understanding of HIV transmission. Less than half of the respondents (n=61; 43.6%) were able to identify 4 means of transmission correctly out of 6 possibilities. Degree of knowledge was unrelated to age or gender. There was a significant positive correlation between an accepting attitude of HIV and knowledge concerning HIV transmission. Stigma against HIV was found among the participants. More than half (58%) of respondents expressed a desire to be tested, most of whom were deemed to have a high level of knowledge. Knowledge is a significant factor in the prevention of HIV infection. Therefore, information about AIDS and its prevention needs to be disseminated among the rural population immediately. Radio campaigns should focus on increasing public knowledge concerning HIV transmission and reducing stigma against HIV. It is also vital that HIV tests be made available to the remote population.