**4. Discussion**

232 Social and Psychological Aspects of HIV/AIDS and Their Ramifications

Again, a higher percentage of males were more likely to portray HIV-related stigma and discriminatory attitudes than their female counterparts (Figures 1 and 2). Overall, 48.1 percent of males indicated that a teacher who has HIV or AIDS but not sick should not be allowed to teach compared to 39.2 percent of females in 2001. These percentages were recorded as 37.2 and 23.5 percent respectively in 2004 and 19.2 and 12.7 percent respectively

BAIS I BAIS II BAIS III

Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total

26.4 15.4 19.2 24.0 40.7 52.9

46.0 31.3 12.0 2.1

23.2 29.6 16.8

**48.1 39.2 43.2 37.2 23.5 29.3 19.2 12.7 15.7** 

38.6 19.2 22.5 27.6 35.1 51.3

51.6 35.6 14.8 2.3

24.4 25.5 26.1 28.8 11.8 11.6 14.8 22.8 22.7

31.8 31.0 11.9 4.0

13.4 14.2 20.8 20.6 7.3 5.4 9.6 12.8 30.8

25.8 19.0 7.0 1.8

7.8 13.7 13.7 24.6 9.4 8.1 11.8 17.1 27.1

29.0 24.3 9.3 2.9

10.3 13.9 17.1

in 2008.

Socio-

demographic variables

**Age group**  10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-64

**Education**  No education Primary Secondary Higher

**Marital status**  Married Once married Never married

**Adjusted Total** 

**%** 

59.1 40.5 39.8 39.7 52.1 56.8

66.9 63.5 37.2 6.8

38.5 64.8 52.0 48.8 27.9 29.6 43.5 49.5 51.6

65.0 54.2 26.8 3.6

35.7 44.1 40.5

sex, Botswana AIDS Impact Surveys (BAIS) I, II & III

53.7 33.5 33.7 41.8 50.7 53.9

66.0 58.4 31.0 5.3

36.9 49.3 45.9 52.0 27.4 26.9 31.8 29.0 49.8

55.6 41.6 21.1 2.5

25.9 5.3 39.6

**Total % 52.0 40.5 45.9 31.9 20.7 25.3 18.1 11.5 14.5** 

Table 2. Percentage of the population who reported that a teacher who has HIV & AIDS but not sick should not be allowed to teach, actual and standardized percentages, by survey and

The proportion of the population who reported that a teacher who has HIV or AIDS but not sick should not be allowed to teach that a teacher who has HIV or AIDS but not sick should not be allowed to teach did not vary significantly by age for both males and females. There

Generally, a higher percentage of people with no or primary education compared to other educational categories tended to report that a teacher who has HIV or AIDS but not sick

is no clear trend that can be discerned from the data in terms of age differentials.

The purpose of the paper was to estimate the levels and trends of HIV-related stigma in Botswana using three Botswana AIDS Impact Surveys (BAIS) I, II and III. The study shows that HIV/AIDS-related discriminatory attitudes among Batswana are declining. HIV/AIDSrelated discrimination is much lower when an HIV infected person is a family member of the respondent. The study results showed that people who were more likely to report that a teacher who has HIV or AIDS but not sick should not be allowed to teach were males, those who had primary education, and the never married. The results showed that people who were more likely to report that a teacher who has HIV or AIDS but not sick should not be allowed to teach were males, those who had primary education, and the never married. The study also showed that people who were more likely to report that they would not buy vegetables from a shopkeeper who had HIV or AIDS were males, those who had no or primary education, and the never married.

Trends and Levels of HIV/AIDS-Related Stigma and

71.4 54.6 54.7 58.3 59.6 61.5

72.6 75.5 52.1 28.8

53.4 66.0 65.2 66.1 52.3 53.4 62.1 71.8 63.4

77.6 70.1 51.9 27.6

58.7 63.9 60.2

and sex, Botswana AIDS Impact Surveys (BAIS) I, II & III

stigma.htm: Accessed on the 11/03/2011.

68.6 53.3 53.9 60.5 66.5 62.6

75.0 72.6 52.0 28.3

56.5 64.5 62.6

Socio-

demographic variables

Age group 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-64

**Education**  No education Primary Secondary Higher

**Marital status**  Married Once married Never married

**Adjusted Total** 

**7. References** 

21(4): 347-357.

and Population Council.

**%** 

Discriminatory Attitudes: Insights from Botswana AIDS Impact Surveys 235

also like to express his heartfelt gratitude to Central Statistics Office in the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning for granting him permission to use the BAIS data.

> 55.2 46.4 46.4 50.2 44.3 43.8

> 72.8 60.5 34.6 14.4

> 42.1 22.5 55.7

**Total % 61.9 59.9 60.8 48.1 38.0 42.1 25.7 18.7 22.0** 

Table 3. Percentage of the population who reported that they would not buy vegetables from a shopkeeper who had HIV & AIDS, actual and standardized percentages, by survey

Avert (n.d.) *HIV and AIDS stigma and discrimination*. http://www.avert.org/hiv-aids-

Letamo, G. (2003). Prevalence of, and Factors Associated with, HIV/AIDS-related Stigma and

Parker, R., Aggleton, P., Attawell, K., Pulerwitz, J. & Brown, L. (2002). *HIV/AIDS-related Stigma* 

Discriminatory Attitudes in Botswana, *Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition*,

*and Discrimination: A Conceptual Framework and an Agenda for Action*. Horizons Progam

BAIS I BAIS II BAIS III

Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total

44.3 34.7 34.3 41.1 54.2 66.0

59.1 50.0 29.6 10.5

39.3 39.0 36.6

**61.5 60.0 60.7 49.8 40.7 44.3 27.2 20.3 23.5** 

49.3 38.4 39.4 45.3 49.9 52.6

66.8 54.4 31.1 12.7

40.6 36.4 44.3 36.9 21.6 17.0 21.9 28.9 37.9

40.4 39.0 19.6 10.3

19.4 25.9 29.6 32.0 13.1 10.2 15.8 20.8 32.5

30.6 26.2 15.3 6.5

13.9 20.3 21.8 34.4 17.0 13.2 18.4 24.1 34.9

35.8 31.9 17.2 8.4

16.3 21.6 25.6

It is evident from the results that in the past, most Batswana discriminated against people living with HIV and AIDS. Letamo (2003) found that close to two-thirds of people in 2001 expressed discriminatory attitudes toward people living with HIV and AIDS and the majority of these people were males. This percentage dropped to 44.3% in 2004 and later in 2008 to 23.5%. The reductions in the proportion of people who discriminate against those living with HIV/AIDS are believed to be due to government efforts to reduce stigma and discrimination. The consistent declining trends in discriminatory attitudes towards people living with HIV and AIDS may be suggestive of the fact that the Government of Botswana initiatives in fighting stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS are starting to produce desired results.

A consistent finding emerging out of the data is that people tend to express accepting attitudes toward people living with HIV and AIDS if they are family members but more discriminating if they are unrelated to them. Like it was earlier stated in Letamo (2003), the more tolerant attitude to care for a family member who is living with HIV/AIDS probably reflect the government intervention of promoting community home-based care programmes. The concept of community home-based care was introduced in 1992 to reduce the relieve public hospitals of the burden of caring for increasing number of AIDS patients. Community home-based care is a programme desired to ensure that family members of people living with HIV and AIDS actively participate in the care of their members. In other words, one can conclude that community home-based care indirectly promotes tolerant attitudes towards people living with HIV and AIDS.

Another emerging observation from the results is that females rather than males have more tolerant attitudes toward people living with HIV and AIDS. The more tolerant attitudes toward people living with HIV and AIDS of females may reflect the current set-up where a disproportionate number of women provide care to all members of the family. Community home-based care is almost exclusively shouldered by women (Population Reference Bureau, n.d.).
