Most people were not protecting themselves against HIV/Aids even though they knew of the dangers, a Gauteng Aids expert said on Tuesday.
”Now is the time to turn our thinking and talking into joint and practical action to address the challenge of HIV and Aids,” said Dr Liz Floyd, director of the Gauteng health department’s Aids unit.
Floyd’s comments came ahead of the launch of the Gauteng Aids Council’s 2006 World Aids Day campaign with the theme this year of ”Turning talk into action”.
Face-to-face interaction was the best form of communication, as it gave people an opportunity to ask questions, Floyd said.
With this in mind, 12 000 trained volunteers, including celebrities and religious activists, would be visiting homes — mainly in informal settlements — door-to-door until December 1, said provincial health minister Brian Hlongwa.
They would deal with the issues of HIV/Aids prevention, comprehensive health care and support for children affected by the virus.
Changing sexual behaviour involved knowledge, attitudes, social norms, confidence, self-efficacy, discussion, and support of constructive behaviour, he said.
Communities were important in backing these processes — and in the social changes to address other problems, said Hlongwa.
These included women’s lack of control over the conditions in which they had sex because of gender inequality, substance abuse or coercion; and the perception that young women could use older partners for money and social status.
He said that during the campaign, three million pamphlets in English would be distributed on HIV prevention, Aids health care, and support for families and children affected by Aids.
Pamphlets in Zulu, Sotho and Afrikaans were still being printed. – Sapa