Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Comprehensive & Cost Effective Laboratory Monitoring of HIV/AIDS: an African Role Model
Published on: November 1, 2010
HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes and practices among South African military recruits
E van der Ryst1, G Joubert, F Steyn
1Department of Virology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein.
Objectives:
To assess the level of HIV-related knowledge, as well as high-risk behaviour and attitudes towards HIV, in a group of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) recruits.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Setting:
Tempe military base in Bloemfontein.
Subjects:
Three hundred and thirty-nine recruits from one company.
Outcome Measures:
HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and practices based on a self-administered questionnaire.
Results:
All of the recruits were male, and most of them (81.4%) were black. The majority of recruits (98.5%) were between 18 and 24 years old. They had a good level of knowledge regarding HIV and AIDS, with more than 80% giving a correct response in most cases. However, several important misconceptions regarding HIV/AIDS and its transmission still exist. Furthermore, several recruits still practised high-risk behaviour, such as not using condoms with casual or new partners. Most obtained their knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS from schools (34.8%), health and social services (27.1%) and the printed media (17.7%), while only 5.2% stated that they learnt about HIV/AIDS from the SANDF education programmes.
Conclusion:
Efforts towards initiating behaviour changes in military recruits should be intensified, and if necessary education programmes should be adapted to facilitate achievement of this goal.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
Cryptococcal Meningitis
Amebiasis

