Investigating educators' views of sexuality, HIV and AIDS education in working with students with disabilities in South African schools

Abstract

The misconception that persons with disabilities are asexual and sexually inactive of ten relegates teaching sexuality education in special needs schools to a priority of low importance. The access, or lack thereof, to such information causes students with disabilities to be at an increased risk of HIV infection; therefore, providing them with sexuality education is imperative. The purpose of the present study was to examine the teachers' and childcare providers' views of teaching sexuality, HIV, and AIDS programs in special needs schools. A survey questionnaire was employed to collect the data. The results showed that among the four major study constructs, teaching practices had the highest mean scores (M = 4.2). A correlation matrix among the 10 study variables indicates the strongest positive associations for teaching practices with cure for HIV (r = .37, p < .01) and the seriousness of the AIDS problem (r = .35, p < .05) with programs related to HIV and AIDS. The study confirmed the teachers' high levels of knowledge regarding HIV and AIDS and that they were taking the teaching of sexuality education to students with disabilities seriously. The teachers, however, questioned who should be held responsible for teaching this sexuality education, which may have an impact on their attitudes and beliefs as well as their teaching practices of the topic.