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ObjectiveTo determine if a health talk on family planning (FP) by community clinic health assistants (CCHAs) will improve knowledge, attitudes and behavioral intentions about contraception in HIV-infected individuals.MethodsA 15-min FP health talk was given by CCHAs in six rural HIV clinics to a sample of 49 HIV-infected men and women. Effects of the health talk were assessed through a questionnaire administered before the health talk and after completion of the participant's clinic visit.ResultsFollowing the health talk, there was a significant increase in knowledge about contraceptives (p

The number of women who did cervical cancer (CC) screening was still low. The dominant barrier was the lack of knowledge, so increasing knowledge was significant to improve attitude and CC screening participation. Health talk is an information-sharing method with participatory, informal, and entertaining approaches that allow individuals to freely discuss health. The aim of this study was to determine an overview of the impact of health talk on CC screening behavior among women. This study was quasy-experimental with a pre-post test with a control group design. Enrolled 210 sexually active women aged 30-50 years by cluster sampling which was 105 for experiment groups and 105 for control groups. The independent variable was health talk, and the dependent variable was CC screening behavior, consist of knowledge, attitude, and practice. Data were collected by questionnaire, and observation, then analyzed used paired sample t-test, and MANOVA for knowledge and attitude, Mann Whitney U test used to determine the effect of the intervention to practice. Paired sample t-test obtained p = 0,000 in both groups for both variables; knowledge and attitude, overall Wilks' lambda obtained p = 0,000. Mann-Whitney U test obtained p = 0.391 for practice. The result showed that health talk affected women's knowledge and attitude. This study also found that educational level and occupational status were positively related to knowledge, attitude, and practice. And these additional findings are associated with health literacy, and this was the argument of the main findings. Statistically, health talk did not affect practice, only 13 women (8 from intervention groups, five from control groups) who participated CC screening after the intervention. Further researchers suggested to conduct studies related to CC screening participation improvement, consider various factors, and add other methods to increase CC screening participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores gender differences in health talk, how such talk is informed by discourses at a societal level and the extent to which talking about health is a way of 'doing gender.' It draws on in-depth interviews with 48 women and men in their twenties and thirties showing that gender influences both the way people talk about health and their willingness to engage in health talk. It explores the way cultural constructions of gender influence the propensity to take risks with particular reference to HIV/AIDs and recreational drug use and the extent to which discourses of risk inform health talk. We discuss how changes in the occupational structure and the associated influx of men into 'women's' work are associated with more 'feminized' masculinities and a recognition among some men of the male body's vulnerability. They are also associated with men's health talk becoming more like women's. We conclude that cultural constructions of gender not only have an impact on health talk but also on the regulatory power of discourses of risk and risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes illness-related talk in marriage. Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies were employed to identify and examine emergent themes of how couples talk about not feeling well. Fifty-three couples jointly participated in an open-ended interview and individually completed a series of questionnaires. Narrative analysis supports the notion that couples' illness-related narratives are indicative of the couples' relationship culture and identity. Five distinct couple types emerged from the illness-related scripts that the couples presented: the sympathetic couple, the independent couple, the mixed couple, the nonreciprocal couple, and the rejecting couple. Statistical analyses revealed several patterns of satisfaction and health perceptions that varied by sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the knowledge, beliefs and sources of information of HIV among students of a tertiary institution in Nigeria. The study was conducted among students of University of Ilorin residing in Oke-Odo community, a student community located near the school. The objective of the study is to know if the students are adequately informed of HIV.A total of 292 students selected through a two-stage sampling method were involved in the study. Information was gathered through questionnaire administration which contained closed and open ended questions.(84.2%) of the participants know that, a healthy looking person can have HIV, (88.7%) know that HIV virus weakens the immune system of an infected person and (82.2%) know that HIV can be transmitted through unprotected vagina sex. Also, (81.2%) identified fever as the symptom of HIV while (77.7%) identified avoiding unprotected sex as preventive measure towards contacting HIV.The highest source of information of HIV among the participants is health talk accounting for (68.2%) which was followed closely by the school (66.4%). Although (63.7%) of the participants strongly disagree that HIV is a myth and does not exist, (36.6%) of the participants also strongly believe that HIV can be cured with prayers. The study showed a statistical significant relationship between knowledge of HIV and age of participants p= 0.001 while n statistical significant relationship was found between knowledge of HIV and sex p= 0.055, marital status p=0.051, religion p= 0.359 and tribe p=0.170.The study concluded that although the participants had a good knowledge of HIV, various misconceptions are held by participants on the belief held about the disease. Dissemination of adequate knowledge on HIV among students in the institution is strongly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]