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Hoewel daar wêreldwyd navorsing gedoen word oor die bekamping van die MIV- en VIGS-pandemie, blyk dit dat verspreiding van die virus in Afrika Suid-van-die-Sahara steeds aan die toeneem is. Vele redes kan aangevoer word waarom voorkomingsprogramme nie daarin slaag om die pandemie te bekamp nie. In hierdie artikel word gefokus op stigma en diskriminasie teenooradolessente as bydraende faktore. Die artikel lewer verslag oor kwalitatiewe navorsing wat onderneem is om die persepsies en houdings van die gemeenskap teenoor MIV-positiewe adolessente en VIGS-lyers en laasgenoemdes se ervarings in hierdie verband te ondersoek. Die analise van data het aan die lig gebring dat daar, ten spyte van beskikbare inligting wat die teendeel beklemtoon, nog steeds vrees bestaan vir infeksie deur normale kontak met lyers en dat hulle as gevolg daarvan anders behandel word as ander individue. 'n Kort bespreking van stigma in die algemeen en in die konteks van MIV en VIGS in die besonder is ter inleiding aangebied, asook 'n opsomming van kenmerke van adolessente wat hulle veral bloot-stel aan MIV- en VIGS-infeksie. Die artikel word afgesluit met enkele aanduidings van hoe stigmatisering en diskriminasie moontlik die hoof gebied kan word. Although researchers all over the world study ways to curb the HIV and AIDS pandemic, the disease seems to be flourishing in sub-Saharan Africa. Many and varied reasons can be given for the apparently limited success of prevention programmes. This article focuses on stigma and discrimination as contributing factors, and reports on research undertaken to explore perceptions and attitudes towards adolescents who are HIV-positive. The experiences of these adolescents are also described. HIVpositive adolescents were selected in a focused way for individual interviews; parents, teachers and members of the community were selected randomly for focus group interviews. Data analysis revealed that stigma and discrimination are still very much a part of the everyday experiences of HIV-positive adolescents, and that people still harbour the misconception that the infection can be spread through normal interaction, despite information to the contrary. Results were presented after a brief discussion of stigma in general and specifically in the HIV and AIDS context. Characteristics of adolescents that render them especially vulnerable to infection are also presented. In conclusion some suggestions are made with regard to intervention and prevention programmes. |
