Be Wise condomise
a study in Botswana on the spread of AIDS information and how the information is being received
AIDS is a huge problem in the world and it is spreading rapidly, especially in Africa. Botswana is one of the worlds worst-hit countries, with over one-third of the inhabitants infected by HIV/AIDS. The measures that have been taken to stop the spread of AIDS are to inform and enlighten people on how the disease is spread and how to protect oneself. The aim of this thesis is to investigate what different ways of informing people about AIDS different organisations make use of in Botswana. The thesis also addresses how some receivers of the AIDS information experience it. The receivers are limited to young women in Gaborone. The thesis is based on an MFS-study carried out in Gaborone, Botswana. The study was conducted through interviews and observations. The main question of the thesis is: Are the most common ways of spreading information about AIDS which the organisations we investigated in Botswana make use of also those which the young women appreciate most? The thesis investigates both sides in the communication process, the transmitters of AIDS information and the receivers. It makes use of Jarlbros theory on health communication and Ross Todds theory on information utilisation to analyse the work of the different organisations and the interviews with the young women. The result of the thesis is that the transmitters and the receivers do not always have the same perception of what are the best ways of informing people about AIDS. Mostly mass communication campaigns are being used, but the young women prefer to be informed on a more personal level.