Teofilo V.

Fernandez National High School

Indangan, Buhangin, Davao City

AWARENESS OF HIV/AIDS AMONG GRADE 10 STUDENTS IN

TEOFILO V. FERNANDEZ NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

A Thesis

Presented to the Senior High School Department

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for Research in Daily Life 2 (APP 5)

By

Ceridon, Christine Jean E.

Untalan, Kathy

Sadagnot, Maximo

Olinan, John Lloyd

October 2019

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 CHAPTER 1

The Problem and Its Scope

Introduction

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells that help the

body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases.

It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly

during unprotected sex (sex without a condom or HIV medicine to prevent or treat HIV),

or through sharing injection drug equipment. If left untreated, HIV can lead to the

disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). (HIV.gov July2019).

The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of Lentivirus (a

subgroup of retrovirus) that causes HIV infection and over time acquired

immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). AIDS is a condition in humans in which

progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic

infections and cancers to thrive. HIV/AIDS infection in the Philippines might be low but

growing. The estimated incidence of HIV/AIDS in the country remains under 0.1% of the

total population in 2015. The Philippines has one of the lowest rates of infection, yet has

one of the fastest growing number of cases worldwide. The Philippines is one of seven

countries with growth in number of cases of over 25%, from 2001 to 2009. Cases are

concentrated among men who have sex with men. HIV cases among men having sex

with men multiplied over 10 times since 2010. HIV cases are getting younger.

(Wikipedia, 2017)

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 Stigma is a social process, experienced or anticipated, characterized by

exclusion, rejection, blame, or devaluation that results from experience, perception, or

reasonable anticipation of an adverse social judgement about a person or group.

UNAIDS defined HIV stigma as a process of devaluation of people either living with or

associated with HIV infection. PLWH have been stigmatized because the disease is

generally perceived as dangerous, contagious, and associated with behaviors outside of

social norms. HIV stigma may have serious consequences, such as loss of friendship

and family ties, dismissal from school and occupation, and denial from health care. HIV

stigma has been shown to affect multiple HIV-related health behaviors and outcomes

(e.g., accessing treatment and testing services) in people living or associated with HIV

and the general population. Because of HIV stigma, one-third of individuals testing

positive with HIV globally do not disclose their HIV status. (BMC Public Health, 2018)

South Africa has the biggest and most high-profile HIV epidemic in the world, with

an estimated 7.7 million people living with HIV in 2018.1 South Africa accounts for a

third of all new HIV infections in southern Africa.2In 2018, there were 240,000 new HIV

infections and 71,000 South Africans died from AIDS-related illnesses.3South Africa has

the largest antiretroviral treatment (ART) programme in the world and these efforts have

been largely financed from its own domestic resources. In 2015, the country was

investing more than $1.34 billion annually to run its HIV programmes.4The success of

this ART programme is evident in the increases in national life expectancy, rising from

61.2 years in 2010 to 67.7 years in 2015. HIV prevalence remains high (20.4%) among

the general population, although it varies markedly between region. For example, HIV

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prevalence is almost 12.2% in Kwazulu Natal compared with 6.8 and 5.6% in Northern

Cape and Western Cape, respectively.

HIV/AIDS infection in the Philippines might be low but growing. The estimated

incidence of HIV/AIDS in the country remains under 0.1% of the total population in

2015.[1] The Philippines has one of the lowest rates of infection, yet has one of the

fastest growing number of cases worldwide. The Philippines is one of seven countries

with growth in number of cases of over 25%, from 2001 to 2009. Cases are

concentrated among men who have sex with men. HIV cases among men having sex

with men multiplied over 10 times since 2010. HIV cases are getting younger.

The Davao City Reproductive Health and Wellness Center (RHWC) recorded a

total of 39 new cases of human immunodeficiency virus-acquired immunodeficiency

syndrome (HIV-Aids) obtained through sexual intercourse in Davao City for January and

February 2019 alone. Based on the data from the Department of Health (DOH)

Epidemiology Bureau provided by Eddie Batoon, Community Health Outreach Worker

of Aids Society of the Philippines–RHWC, of this figure, 15 were reported in January

while 24 are in February. By gender, 35 are male while four are female. In HIV-Aids

cases by age group, for 15 to 24 age bracket, the health department noted 17

individuals who were tested positive; 19 for age 25 to 34, and three for 35 to 49. For the

mode of transmission, males having sex with males topped the list with 17 individuals,

followed by males having sex with males and females (14), male-female sex only

(seven), and one unknown. (Sunstar, 2017).

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 This research study focuses on the level of awareness of HIV/AIDS among Grade

10 students in Teofilo V. Fernandez National High School interms of their knowledge,

attitude, and perception. As such, the school (TVFNHS) will benefit from the findings of

the study by proposing and enhancing programs towards HIV/AIDS. By doing so, the

TVFNHS will engage effective HIV/AIDS programs that works towrds UNAIDS’ vision of

zero HIV infection, zero descrimination and zero AIDS related deaths. (UNAIDS, 2011).

Furthermore, the study’s findings will influence students to percieve and be aware about

HIV/AIDS. Lastly, the TVFNHS will, in the long run encounter reduced health and

administration cost if positive changes are made in the measure against.

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 Review of Related Literature

Existing empirical evidence has well documented the role of social support in

both physical and psychological well-being among various populations. In the context

of HIV prevention, the rapid increase of studies on social support merits a systematic

review to synthesize the current global literature on association between social support

and HIV-related risk behaviors. The current review reveals a complex picture of this

relationship across diverse populations. Existing studies indicate that higher levels of

social support are related to fewer HIV-related risk behaviors among female sex

workers and people living with HIV/AIDS and heterosexual adults in general. However,

influences of social support on HIV-related risk behaviors are inconsistent within drug

users, men who have sex with men and adolescents. These variations in findings may

be attributed to different measurement of social support in different studies, specific

context of social support for diverse population, or various characteristics of the social

networks the study population obtained support from. Future studies are needed to

explore the mechanism of how social support affects HIV-related risk behaviors. HIV

prevention intervention efforts need to focus on the positive effect of social support for

various vulnerable and at-risk populations. Future efforts also need to incorporate

necessary structure change and utilize technical innovation in order to maximize the

protective role of social support in HIV risk prevention or reduction. (Xiaoming Li, 2014)

Between 1985 and 1987, examinations for human immune deficiency virus (HIV)

antibody were done on 25,392 prostitutes working in 64 cities throughout the

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Philippines. The country-wide zero positivity rate among prostitutes based on this

sample was 0.8/1,000. Of the HIV cases, 85% were working in just two cities whose

prostitute populations comprised 50% of the total sample. The average incidence rate

for the same two cities after 1 year was 2.3/1,000. HIV antibody-positive women were

enrolled in a case-control study to determine demographic and epidemiologic risk

factors. This study involving 34 HIV-positive prostitutes and 61 randomly selected

negative control prostitutes did not reveal any risk factors related to sexual or other

types of behavior. A history of genital warts, a history of abnormal vaginal discharge,

and cytomegalovirus antibody were significantly more frequent in the HIV-positive cases

than in the controls; however, by logistic regression analysis, only an abnormal vaginal

discharge was independently associated with HIV infection. Absence of any evidence of

transmission by blood transfusion or i.v. drug abuse suggests that HIV was introduced

by the heterosexual route.

Globally, HIV- and AIDS-related education programmes set out their objectives and

the process whereby they hope to achieve their goals in quite different ways. Some

initiatives for example seem largely concerned with promoting ‘responsible’ behaviours

(for example, the Expanded Life Planning Education Programme, which is delivered as

part of the formal school curriculum in Oyo State, Nigeria [6]). Others place the

realization of young people’s rights at the heart of their agenda, such as for example the

Brazilian Saúde e Prevenção nas Escolas (Health and Prevention in Schools)

programme, which is designed for young people between 13- and 19-year old attending

public secondary schools [7]. Similarly, while agencies such as the United Nations

Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have argued that the development of life skills may be an

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effective way of reducing young people’s vulnerability to HIV and AIDS [8], work such as

that initiated by the Jerusalem AIDS Project (JAIP) stresses the development of young

people’s scientific understanding of HIV as a key determinant of success [9]. Put quite

simply, there exists debate about the forms, ends and means of HIV- and AIDS-related

education that cannot be reduced to concern for narrowly conceived notions of effects

and effectiveness alone. Despite the range and proliferation HIV- and AIDS-related

education programmes, to date there have only been a few attempts to develop a

conceptual framework for understanding and categorizing this large field of work. In one

early framework, Homans and Aggleton [10, 11] identified four models of HIV- and

AIDS-related education, distinguishing between programmes on the basis of their

understanding of disease and health (whether these were seen as dependent on

personal behaviour and/or related to structural factors), their goals (changing what were

considered to be behavioural determinants or focusing on young people’s rights) and

the pedagogy employed (for example, formal education or non-formal initiatives).

Smith et al. [12] subsequently put forward a typology of approaches to HIV- and AIDS-

related education based on their work in South East Asia. As well as looking at means

and ends, this focused in large part on identifying whether and how the subject had

been integrated within the formal education system. HIV/AIDS has not yet caused a

widespread epidemic in the Philippines. Rates in all the usual risk groups (sex workers,

men who have sex with men, STD clients, returning overseas workers, etc.) have

remained below 1%, except in a few areas, where they are still only 1-2% in some risk

groups. The low level of HIV may be due in part to the low number of sex worker clients

per night, the relatively low number of full-time sex workers, the low proportion of

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injectors among drug users, the early multisectoral response to the epidemic, and the

presence of social hygiene clinics for sex workers. The incidence of STDs, multiple

partners, and injection drug use with needle sharing, however, is increasing, suggesting

that an explosive epidemic could occur if the virus is introduced into the appropriate risk

groups. The Philippine government has confronted the problem of HIV/AIDS

aggressively with an action plan that includes an emphasis on the response of the local

government agencies, involvement and support of nongovernmental organizations

(NGOs), incorporation of HIV/AIDS education into the school curriculum, and laws

forbidding discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS or belonging to risk groups.

Local and international NGOs have been actively involved in prevention of HIV/AIDS

and support of affected individuals. Although the Philippines is currently experiencing

low rates of HIV/AIDS, the country needs to be prepared for the possibility of an

explosive increase in the spread of HIV/AIDS. Vietnam and Indonesia provide examples

of delayed epidemics of HIV/AIDS that could also occur in the Philippines.( AIDS

Education and Prevention, July2004)

HIV/AIDS has been a global concern. According to UNAIDS, the Philippines is one of

the seven countries in the world and the only country in Southeast Asia which reported

an increasing trend in the number of people infected with HIV. Thus, this investigation

determined the knowledge and attitude of college students of the University of the

Immaculate Conception on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune

Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). This is a correlation study which examined whether their

knowledge on HIV/AIDS has something to do with their attitude towards it, basing on the

premise that the more informed a person is on matters related to HIV/AIDS, the more

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appropriate his or her attitude towards it is formed. A survey using an adapted

questionnaire was conducted to 380 randomly selected college students of the

University of the Immaculate Conception, Davao City, Philippines. Findings of the study

revealed a high level of knowledge on HIV/ AIDS and a moderately positive attitude

towards all the aspects involved in dealing with these health issues. Subjecting the data

to Pearson r analysis, it was found that there is a significant moderate relationship

between the knowledge and attitude on HIV/AIDS from the standpoint of the college

students. (Maribeth Galindo, 2014)

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The number of individuals infected with Human

Immunodeficiency Virus-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS) is

alarming, a city health official said. The reported cases of HIV-AIDS in the city is

increasing compared 10 or 11 years ago, Dr. Jordana P. Ramiterre, the Head Physician

of the Reproductive Health and Wellness Center or RHWC of the city health office said

in an interview by davaotoday.com RHWC, in partnership with Southern Philippines

Medical Center (SPMC) and the Alliance against AIDS in Mindanao (ALAGAD-

Mindanao), is a clinic and testing/screening center under the city health office that

serves as an access and service center for persons with HIV-AIDS. According to a

quarterly data released by RHWC, from April to June of this year, 33 cases were already

reported bringing to 295 the total number of persons positive with HIV-AIDS in Davao

city since 1993. Of the 33 cases reported in the stated quarter, 32 of the infected are

males and 1 female. 17 of the said cases are youths, aged 15 to 24, a figure that

according to health authorities describe as disturbing.

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 ALAGAD-Mindanao, an alliance of non-government organizations, people’s

organizations and individuals involved in the prevention, care and support of people

living with HIV confirmed the statistics given by the city health office. It is believed that

the figure could be higher. In fact, the Department of Health (DOH) Region XI recorded

a higher figure of 403 persons with HIV-AIDS in Davao City, from 1993 until June 2012.

(Alex Lopez, 2012)

The HIV infection rate is lower in the Philippines than would be expected based on the

numbers of people believed to engage in high-risk behaviors. A national behavioral

surveillance system has been implemented to monitor selected behaviors among

vulnerable populations. This paper reports on an interview survey of 360 registered and

360 freelance sex workers in Cebu City, the Philippines, from 1997 to 1999. All of the

women had engaged in sexual activity in exchange for money during the week

preceding the interview. The freelance workers reported more sexual partners than the

registered sex workers (p < .00001), assessed themselves as more at risk for HIV

(p < .00001), and were less likely to always use condoms during sex (p < .00001). The

groups were comparable on a measure of knowledge about HIV transmission. As these

women continue to engage in risky behaviors, some form of intervention will be

necessary to prevent the escalating HIV/AIDS rates seen in other Southeast Asian

countries. (Elmira Aguilar, 2001)

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 Theories/Concept

Obermeyer (2011) stated that he developed a theory to increase our

understanding on the contextual factors and mechanisms that influence HIV disclosure.

This theory is presented as an organized and systematic set of interrelated concepts

that helps to develop laws of general understanding by determining whether, why and

how disclosure takes place and to address what types of support people, families and

communities need The model is believed to guide future research projects on HIV

disclosure, and to facilitate the development and implementation of robust interventions

to reduce stigma and potentially increase the rates of HIV disclosure. We opted for a

grounded theory design to study HIV disclosure processes in vulnerable populations in

Nepal. Grounded theory is generally referred to as an inductive research process that

leads to the systematic development of a theoretical model to explain behavioral

patterns and processes in social settings linked to the phenomenon under study [ 13]. In

our case, the phenomenon central to our study is the process of HIV disclosure. In

grounded theory, rather than introducing a set of preconceived theoretical ideas or

hypotheses to guide data-collection and analysis, the building blocks for the emerging

theory are generated through a process of simultaneous data collection and analysis.

Data collection and analysis continues until a saturation point is reached and the

developed theory is no longer challenged by new, potentially conflicting data collected.

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 Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Awareness of

HIV/AIDS
Profile of the

Respondents: • Knowledge

a. Gender • Attitude

b. Age • Perception

Figure 1. Theoretical Framework of the Study

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

(AIDS)-related education is seen by many as central to increasing young people's

awareness of, as well as decreasing their vulnerability to, HIV. There is less agreement,

however, on the central goals of HIV- and AIDS-related education and the form it might

best take. This paper offers a conceptual framework for understanding some of the main

approaches to HIV- and AIDS-related education being implemented today, drawing a

distinction between approaches which are ‘scientifically’ informed; those that draw upon

notions of ‘rights’ and those which are overtly ‘moralistic’ in the sense that they promote

conservative moral positions concerning sexuality and sexual acts. In outlining these

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three approaches, we examine different ways in which the terms ‘science’, ‘rights’ and

‘moral values’ are conceptualized and some of the key assumptions underpinning

different forms of HIV- and AIDS-related education. Findings will be useful for those

desiring to develop a typology of approaches to HIV- and AIDS-related education and

their potential effects. (Health Education Research,2011)

Statement of the Problem

1. What is the profile of the respondents interms of:

a. Gender,
b. Age?

2. What is the level of awareness of HIV/AIDS among Grade 10 students in Teofilo

V. Fernandez National High School interms of:

a. Knowledge
b. Attitude
c. Perception

3. Is there a significant difference on the level of awareness of HIV/AIDS among

Grade 10 students in Teofilo V. Fernandez National High School when analyzed

according to:

a. Gender,

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 b. Age?

Hypothesis

The null hypothesis were formulated and tested using 0.05 alpha level of significance.

Ho: There is no significant difference on the level of awareness of HIV/AIDS among

Grade 10 students in Teofilo V. Fernandez National High School.

Scope and Delimitation

These are some limitations in this study that are necessary to comment on. The study

was carried out in Teofilo V. Fernandez National High School. The instruments used in

this study was a survey questionnaire. But in any case the instrument has been used in

earlier studies in other school and universities.

Definition of Terms

Terms used in this study are defined operationally within the usage to avoid

misinterpretation.

1. Awareness: The knowledge of knowing something, knowing that something exist

and is important. An awareness of how to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

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 2. HIV/AIDS: Stands for human immune deficiency virus. It is the virus that causes

AIDS. AIDS, on the other hand, stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency

Syndrome.
3. Student: A person who is studying at a school.

CHAPTER 2

Method

This chapter outlines the research methodology used in this study. Presented are the

discussion on the research design, respondents of the study, research instrument, data

gathering procedure and data analysis.

Research Design

The research design is a descriptive correlational research. Chrtinen, Johnson and

Turner, (2011) describe it is the best design that provides a description or picture of a

situation or phenomenon. In this case, the design was adopted to give a clear

description of the level of awareness of HIV/AIDS among Grade 10 students in Teofilo

V. Fernandez National High School.

Respondents of the Study

The participants of this study were taken from the Grade 10 student of Teofilo V.

Fernandez National High School.

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 Research Instrument

The research instrument use in the gathering of data was a survey questionnaire. For

May (2001), survey are one of the most frequently employed methods in social research

and are used by government, academic researchers in universities and campaign

organizations alike. A surveys are done by the collection of data from large or even very

large number of people. In terms of face validity, the items were modified to suit the

purpose of this study and were validated by expert. The survey questionnaire was

presented to the teacher in charge for comments, corrections and changes. The ratings

of the respondents by each question were based on the following Five-point Likert rating

scale.

Data Gathering Procedure

We looked for necessary resources that could help us in our study. We did intensive

reading about our topic from the internet. From these, were able to construct ideas and

questions for our questionnaire.

Data Analysis

The data was obtained by the respondents who were to indicate their degree of

concurrence with statements under each category on the questionnaire. The responses

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of the respondents was treated as follows: 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 =

neutral, 4 = agree and 5 = strongly agree. The responses were scored for purposes of

data analysis. The data was computed using the measures of central tendencies and

was presented by tables and chart.

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