Page No – 305-315
Sudarshan, H.M. and S. Venkatesan
University of Mysore, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing,
Mysore Mysore
The present study uses a cross sectional small group (n: 60) survey design to
determine the extent of knowledge and opinion about HIV/AIDS in infected rural
women on anti retro viral drug therapy. After a review of available ‘knowledgeopinion scales’, a 30-item two-part inventory to measure ‘knowledge’ (Part A)
and ‘opinion’ (Part B) was exclusively developed for use in this study with subsection for eliciting personal-social demographic details of each respondent.
Open ended non-directive interview techniques were supplemented during data
collection. Results show a mean knowledge score of 7.53 (SD: 2.00) out of 15.
It is seen that ‘high economic status’ and ‘joint type of family’ background
significantly influence high ‘knowledge’ scores (p<0.05); while other sociodemographic variables are not significant in determining their knowledge status on or about HIV/ AIDS (p>0.05). With regard to ‘opinion’ component, statistically
significant inter item respondent difference across all studied socio-demographic
variables (p<0.05) indicate heterogeneity in their views. This suggests the need
for common agenda on facts or figures about HIV/AIDS that must be delivered
for the affected women from rural areas. A content analysis of individual items
reveals sparse knowledge on or about their disease combined with a strong
sense of reserve, reticence and reluctance to discuss openly on a subject matter
which is viewed as personal, intimate and tabooed. These trends are presented
and discussed against the backdrop of an already relegated social status of the
typical rural Indian women afflicted with the double disadvantage of having a
deadly disease