Framework Program in Global Health: Grant Recipients

Britt Ehrhardt
Reducing HIV/AIDS Vulnerability in Secondary Schools: The Influence of Teacher Perceptions on Student HIV Testing Participation
Spring 2008

Country: South Africa

Advisor: Michael Koenig

Program: MHS at School of Public Health, Department of International Health, Social and Behavioral Interventions concentration­­­­­­­

Project Abstract:
In Umkhanyakude District, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, 20 percent of young women contract HIV by age 20, suggesting a high level of risky sexual behavior. Secondary school, where a majority of these women are enrolled for at least some time, has been identified as a significant opportunity for intervention. A major, school-based effort is currently underway to offer HIV education, counseling, and testing services to all 9,600 secondary school students age 12 or older in this area. However, little work has addressed the role of secondary school teachers in enabling or limiting adolescents’ access to HIV information and testing services. Teachers are critical influencers of adolescents’ attitudes and behavior, including in the domain of sexual health, but we know little about teachers in this setting. This study qualitatively explores teachers’ perceptions of students’ participation in HIV education and testing. At least three teachers from each of the 12 secondary schools will participate in in-depth interviews. Interview data will be coded, evaluated, and subsequently linked to existing quantitative, school-by-school data on students’ participation in HIV education and health screening. We will attempt to document particular patterns of teacher perceptions correlated with enhanced student participation and improved student health. Data will also be used to improve programs’ enlistment of teachers in support of existing HIV education programs.