Abstract
M.Cur.
The Sub-Sahara region is riddled with HIV/AIDS to such an extent it has became a
pandemic. The challenge to control or to minimize further infections has been left to the
community nurses. The community nurses' primary aim is to promote and prevent the
spread of infection, especially HIV I AIDS, amongst vulnerable groups (Clemen-Stone,
2002-134 ). The under-utilisation of the voluntary HIV -testing facility by hostel dwellers
is a cause of concern among nurses in this Southern Metropolitan Health Care Centre.
Clinic statistics for the year 2002 indicate that only sixty-six hostel dwellers used the
voluntary HIV -testing. This number is low compared to the approximate population of
twelve thousand hostel dwellers of the three hostels. The purpose of the research is to
describe strategies to promote voluntary HIV -testing in the Southern Metropolitan Health
Care Centre by community nurses. To realise the purpose of the research, the following
research objectives are stated:
To explore and describe factors that influence hostel dwellers not to utilise
voluntary HIV -testing by community nurses in the Southern Metropolitan
Health Care Centre.
To explore and describe the community nurses' response to the factors that
influence hostel dwellers not to utilise voluntary HIV -testing in the Southern
Metropolitan Health Care Centre.
To describe strategies for community nurses to promote the utilisation of the
voluntary HIV -testing.
The research design for this study is qualitative, descriptive and contextual in
nature, (Mouton, 1996:102-103, 10, 133). The research in phase one was
conducted in two steps. Step one focused on the exploration and description of
the factors that influence hostel dwellers not to utilise the voluntary HIV -testing
in health care centers. Step two dealt with the responses of community nurses as
to how to address these factors in the health care centre.