Information Needs of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Ibadan Metropolis
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Date
2014-01-01
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Journal of Education and Practice
Abstract
It is no longer news that the horrific grip of HIV/AIDS has claimed more lives than those killed in world wars
one and two. In Nigeria, a developing economy with high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, cases of HIV/AIDS have
been reported in all the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This research
sought out to enumerate the varying information needs of these special people positively living with HIV.In
other to achieve this objective, fifty Persons Living With HIV/AIDS ( PLWHA) responded to the questionnaire
designed to reveal their information needs across nine different local government areas in Ibadan, Nigeria with
the view to know their information sources and the barriers inhibiting access to HIV/AIDS
information.However, the findings revealed that relevant information which should meet the varying needs of
PLWHA are not available due to poverty, non involvement of the positive people at HIV/AIDS- related
programmes, including the selection of HIV/AIDS information, stigmatization and discrimination often faced by
PLWHA . While 62% of the respondents consulted the media, 62% turned to Churches and Mosques where the
clergies were scarcely trained in HIV/AIDS related activities. Other sources of information were hardly
consulted.It is recommended that religious leaders can be a very good channel in reaching out to PLWHA if
trained as peer educators. PLWHA should be included in the various selection committees not to only provide
relevant information, but also to give sense of belonging in meeting their psychological needs. NGOs on
HIV/AIDS-information dissemination should be encouraged as well.
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Keywords
HIV/AIDS, Information needs, user information, health information