The HIV/AIDS pandemic in Kenya: an investigation into the perceptions of Kenyans toward people living with HIV/AIDS and government programmes.

The HIV/AIDS pandemic in Kenya: an investigation into the perceptions of Kenyans toward people living with HIV/AIDS and government programmes. Afr J AIDS Res. 2020 Jul;19(2):117-122 Authors: Nyaga R Abstract The HIV/AIDS pandemic is compounded by the continued stigmatization of the virus/disease and of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Employing structuration theory, this study sought to examine the perceptions of Kenyans toward their government's efforts to curtail HIV/AIDS as well as their attitudes toward PLWHA. Data for this study were collected using an open-ended online survey. In total, 103 participants (25.3%) completed the survey. We used snowball sampling to select prospective participants known to the researcher; they were sent a link to the survey via email or direct message on a social networking site like Facebook or WhatsApp, and were asked to share the survey with people in their social circles. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that some participants had confidence in the Kenyan government's efforts to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic, while others showed no confidence in government-led initiatives. Consistent with previous research, this study found that stigma towards HIV/ AIDS and PLWHA still exists. Practical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed. PMID: 32780680 [PubMed - in process]
Source: African Journal of AIDS Research - Category: African Health Tags: Afr J AIDS Res Source Type: research