Human Immunodeficiency Virus HIV is a disease that targets and changes the human immune system, increasing the risk and impact of other infections and diseases. Without treatment, this virus progresses to an advanced disease called Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome AIDS . Ignorance of HIV AIDS can lead to the stigmatization of PLWHA. This prevents PLWHA from contributing to society meaningfully and damages their social and psychological health. This study sought to determine the level of awareness towards HIV AIDS and the level of acceptance towards PLWHA among senior high school SHS students in the 9th cluster of Toledo City, Cebu. It further sought to determine whether or not a correlation exists between the students' awareness and acceptance towards PLWHA. To arrive at these, this study utilized questions adopted from Carey, Beedy and Johnson 1997 , and Unnikrishnan, Mithra and Reshmi 2010 for HIV AIDS awareness and HIV AIDS Acceptance, respectively with slight modifications in the wording for the students' comfort. The respondents of this study were 336 SHS students, selected via stratified random sampling from an overall population of 2,094 SHS students. The study found that the respondents exhibited a high level of awareness about HIV AIDS, as well as a high level of acceptance towards PLWHA. Further, it was found that there is a statistically significant correlation between gender and awareness of HIV AIDS. It was also found that there is a statistically significant correlation between gender and attitude towards PLWHA. This study arrived at the conclusion that there is a statistically significant and strong correlation between the respondents' awareness and attitude towards PLWHA. Gordon Matthew C. Suico | Christy B. Alfeche "The Risk Lies in Not Knowing: HIV/AIDS Awareness and Acceptance towards PLWHA" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-5 | Issue-6 , October 2021, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd47674.pdf Paper URL : https://www.ijtsrd.com/medicine/other/47674/the-risk-lies-in-not-knowing-hivaids-awareness-and-acceptance-towards-plwha/gordon-matthew-c-suico
International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD)
Volume 5 Issue 6, September-October 2021 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470
@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD47674 | Volume – 5 | Issue – 6 | Sep-Oct 2021
Page 1738
The Risk Lies in Not Knowing: HIV/AIDS
Awareness and Acceptance towards PLWHA
Gordon Matthew C. Suico
1
, Christy B. Alfeche
2
1Department Ed – Luray II NHS Toledo City Division, University of the Philippines-Visayas, Miagao, Philippines
2Department Ed-Luray II NHS, Toledo City Division, Cebu Normal University, Cebu, Philippines
ABSTRACT
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a disease that targets and
changes the human immune system, increasing the risk and impact of
other infections and diseases. Without treatment, this virus progresses
to an advanced disease called Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
(AIDS). Ignorance of HIV/AIDS can lead to the stigmatization of
PLWHA. This prevents PLWHA from contributing to society
meaningfully and damages their social and psychological health. This
study sought to determine the level of awareness towards HIV/AIDS
and the level of acceptance towards PLWHA among senior high
school (SHS) students in the 9th cluster of Toledo City, Cebu. It
further sought to determine whether or not a correlation exists
between the students’ awareness and acceptance towards PLWHA.
To arrive at these, this study utilized questions adopted from Carey,
Beedy and Johnson (1997), and Unnikrishnan, Mithra and Reshmi
(2010) for HIV/AIDS-awareness and HIV/AIDS-Acceptance,
respectively; with slight modifications in the wording for the
students’ comfort. The respondents of this study were 336 SHS
students, selected via stratified random sampling from an overall
population of 2,094 SHS students. The study found that the
respondents exhibited a high level of awareness about HIV/AIDS, as
well as a high level of acceptance towards PLWHA. Further, it was
found that there is a statistically significant