31 March 2005: No 13/05

HIV KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES & PRACTICES (KAP) SURVEY

The 2004 HIV KAP study was completed in December 2004 and presented to the Military Council on 7 February 2005. 

The KAP study measures changes in HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and sexual practices of DOD members.  Just over 5 000 members of the DOD participated in the 2004 study, which yielded a 6.8% sample of the military population.

The result of the KAP study shows that we have made significant gains in preventing HIV in the DOD.  There is a clear increase in the amount of effort we are putting into HIV prevention.

There is increasing knowledge of HIV.  People are more positive about practising safer sex. People who have multiple sex partners are more likely to use a condom during sex.  And people are beginning to reduce the number of sex partners they have.

There are, of course, many areas of ongoing concern and things we need to work on more.  These include focusing on vulnerable groups, improving knowledge of occupational health and safety, improving know-ledge and use of condoms, and pushing more energetically towards a reduction in sex partners.  Information in this regard will be published in future bulletins.

The 2005 KAP study is already under way.  Data collection is scheduled to take place over March and April 2005.  All uniformed and civilian members of the DOD will be targeted.  We aim to sample one in ten people.

The SAMHS HIV nodal points at regional level have been tasked to coordinate the collection of KAP data.

A new questionnaire has been designed for this study.  It is half as long as that used in the previous three studies.  Careful pilot testing of the questionnaire was done to ensure that questions are clear and user-friendly.

On 7 February 2005, the Military Council expressed its support for the KAP study.  Officers command-ing and managers are urged to give their active support to the SAMHS members who will collect the data.

For enquiries contact Lt Col A.D. van Breda from the Military Health Research Centre, Gezina, Pretoria, tel: (012) 319 3265 or mail mhrc@mweb.co.za