Perceptions of risk and level of precaution used to prevent HIV/AIDS infection : A study of Zimbabwean migrant women living in Johannesburg

摘要

Perception of risk was used as an independent variable and behaviour as theuddependent variable in the research with the assumption that level of precaution usedudduring sexual practices to safeguard against HIV infection will be positively related toudthe perception of risk to HIV. The conclusiveness of this approach was dependent onudevidence that participants know what risky behaviour can contribute to contractingudHIV/AIDS and on their willingness to report their risk perception honestly. Audsnowball sample consisting of 15 Zimbabwean women living in and aroundudJohannesburg was employed. Research objectives were addressed through semistructuredudinterviews. For all participants, perception of risk was qualified by audnumber of factors. Common precautionary strategies identified by women were toudremain faithful to one partner and being more contemplative when choosing bedudpartners and using condoms. High risk perception was marked by having had variousudsexual partners, inconsistently using condoms, fear of sexual violence, mistrust ofudpartners, feeling of fear of vulnerability to HIV whenever they had sex and survivaludconcerns. Migrant women’s adoption of safe sex was limited by their circumstancesudand strategies of risk management and in particular their biases in assumptions aboutudtheir partners’ sexual histories. This exposes them to the vulnerabilities of HIV/AIDS.udThematic analysis was used to interpret the data.