Influence of Television on the Sexual Behavior of Young Women in Mlolongo Township of Machakos County, Kenya

Abstract

The research set out to analyze the influence of television messages on sexual behavior of young women aged between 15 and 24 in Mlolongo Township in Machakos County, Kenya. The objective was to investigate the relevance of the television messages in addressing the issues that make young women more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS than young men of the same age. The study site was chosen because the town is situated along the busy Nairobi-Mombasa highway, where the weighbridge is situated, making the town a sexual hub for truck drivers who spend days in the town as they wait for their tracks to be weighed; thus making it a rich spot for the spread of HIV/AIDS. The study employed the exploratory research design to collect data from the sample population. Data collection was through the use of the questionnaire method administered on a face-to-face basis to the respondents. The sample size was 60 respondents who were selected using a random sampling method. The findings indicated that awareness on the mode of transmission, prevention and management of the HIV/AIDS was almost 100 percent. Majority of the respondents had had access to TV messages that contained messages on HIV/AIDS. However, the TV viewing a lone was not sufficient enough to help change the women’s sexual behavior. Other underlying factors such as cultural beliefs, gender, poverty, peer pressure, economic dependence on male partners made the women more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and not necessarily lack of knowledge on HIV/AIDS. There was therefore need for change of strategy on the fight against HIV/AIDS and not merely awareness creation and prevention. There was need for stakeholders and to have a concerted effort towards addressing the issues at which young women are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and not necessarily creating awareness, which, according to the study, was almost 100 percent.