Re-focusing HIV prevention messages: a qualitative study in rural Uganda

BACKGROUND: After 30 years, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains an epidemic of global concern. To support the increasing emphasis on biomedical interventions for prevention requires a renewed and reframed focus on HIV prevention messages to motivate engagement in risk-reduction activities. This paper examines youth and adult perceptions of HIV prevention messages and HIV risk assessment in a generalized HIV epidemic context in Uganda. METHODS: We conducted 24 focus group discussions and 24 in-depth interviews with 15–45 year olds (n = 218) from three communities in the Rakai district of Uganda in 2012. RESULTS: We found generational differences in the how people viewed HIV, skepticism around introduction of new interventions, continued misconceptions and fears about condoms, and gender differences in content and salience of HIV prevention messages. CONCLUSIONS: Shifts in HIV education are needed to address gaps in HIV messaging to foster engagement in risk reduction strategies and adoption of newer biomedical approaches to HIV prevention.