| Abstract |
South Africa is currently preparing for an unprecedented rollout of AIDS prevention, testing, and treatment initiatives. By 2008, the country aims to have over 1 million people on antiretroviral therapy, and this will necessitate a huge effort. The success of these interventions in reaching those at highest risk will largely determine the future of the AIDS pandemic in the region. However, there has thus far been surprisingly little research done about factors that may prevent such efforts from reaching high-risk populations. Little is known, for example, whether young people are aware of the antiretroviral roll out, what they know about treatment, and whether they are likely to want to be tested .
This study will assess the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to prevention, testing and treatment among young people aged 18-24 in urban and rural South Africa. The study will focus on the adolescents of KwaZulu/Natal, one of the groups at highest risk of infection, living in the South African province that has been hardest hit by the epidemic. The study will examine perceptions and knowledge about prevention, testing, and treatment, analyze factors such as migration and social instability that may impair access to information and services related to these interventions, and measure changes in risk-related behavior in response to prevention and treatment initiatives.
To examine these issues, a quantitative survey will be developed, refined, and reviewed by focus groups. The survey will be administered by trained and experienced interviewers in a random household sample of 200 participants in a Durban township and 200 participants in a rural site several hours north of Durban.
Dr. Lurie, Dr. Harrison and Dr. Ramjee have all done extensive research in this region and aim to use this research to further cement a collaborative relationship with the South African Medical Research Council. This pilot study builds on these existing relationships and addresses a new and important question that logically builds upon this previous work: how can interventions effectively reach these high-risk young people? With pilot data from this study and other studies we have conducted, we are confident of a our chances for an NIH R-01 aimed at developing, implementing and evaluating interventions for young South Africans.
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