AIDS and Condoms: Some Notes on the 'Invisible' Disease

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Periodical article

Title:	AIDS and Condoms: Some Notes on the 'Invisible' Disease
Authors:	Nzyuko, Solomon Morgan, Robert W. Nyamwaya, David
Year:	1991
Periodical:	African Urban Quarterly (ISSN 0747-6108)
Volume:	6
Issue:	1-2
Period:	February-May
Pages:	59-73
Language:	English
Notes:	ills.
Geographic terms:	Kenya East Africa
Subjects:	AIDS Health and Nutrition Medicine, Nutrition, Public Health AIDS (Disease) Medicine, Preventive Condoms health education
Abstract:	In a baseline survey of long-distance truck drivers (N=249) and their female partners, including barmaids and prostitutes (N=66), at two truck stops on the Mombasa-Nairobi portion of the Trans-African highway (Kenya) conducted in 1990, 99 percent had heard of AIDS (86 percent said it was a deadly disease) and 43 percent had used condoms, but only 11 percent associated condom use with AIDS prevention (these figures were largely identical for both males and females). The majority associated condom use with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) having visible symptoms (sores and pus), suggesting that AIDS is largely 'an invisible disease'. After one year of health education and other interventions based on these findings, the target population and hotel and bar personnel at the two stops discuss the use of condoms to prevent AIDS and are using about 300 condoms a day distributed by the project. A post-survey is awaited. Notes, ref., sum.