Basic Knowledge and Attitudes to Promote Safe Behaviours to Grade 8 Learners Concerning Burden of Diseases Including HIV/AIDS

This paper focuses on knowledge and attitudes of Grade 8 pupils about HIV/AIDS and opportunistic diseases. In particular, people need to know what it is, how it is transmitted, how to protect themselves from it, and how to relate to people with the disease. According to the National policy for HIV/AIDS, schools are key settings for educating children about HIV/AIDS and for halting further spread of the infection. It has been noticeable that Grade 8 pupils in the rural areas around Mthatha district are particularly at risk of getting HIV. The focus is often more on Grade 11 and 12 pupils, so female Grade 10 pupils look for boys for attention. This resulted for the female pupils to fall pregnant. The fact that some of them are falling pregnant means they are also more vulnerable to contracting HIV. This shows that little information is available for them and this paper is contributing to that body of knowledge. Prevention therefore is the most effective strategy to combat pregnancy and against the spread of HIV/AIDS in schools. Measures should be taken to remove the social, cultural and political barriers that might block access to HIV/AIDS services and programmes. The results showed that while some Grade 8 pupils are aware of HIV/AIDS, there are others who said it does not exist. It has also been highlighted that the phenomenon of pupils having unprotected sex with older men for money, as well as pupils saying they did not have time to use condoms. It is therefore recommended that pupils need to have role models, people they can look up to. In the absence of parents, it should be teachers' responsibility to advise the pupils and inform them about Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS in schools.