Sailing towards health: HIV/AIDS awareness, comprehensive knowledge, prevention methods, and information sources among fishers in Elmina, Ghana

Abstract

Abstract Background Fishers are more vulnerable to HIV infections due to their high mobility, transactional sex, and socio-economic vulnerabilities. However, fishers often have poor knowledge of HIV. This study examined HIV/AIDS awareness and comprehensive knowledge among fishers in Elmina, Ghana. It also investigated fishers’ knowledge of HIV prevention methods and information sources. Methods This study used a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, involving 385 respondents for the quantitative data and 30 key informants and 2 focus group discussions for the qualitative data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze quantitative data, and thematic analysis guided the qualitative data analysis. Results The study found that although 97.9% of respondents had heard of HIV/AIDS, 44.4% demonstrated low comprehensive knowledge of the disease. There were gaps in fishers’ knowledge about HIV/AIDS, especially HIV prevention methods and myths about HIV transmission. Radio and television were the main sources of HIV/AIDS knowledge among fishers. Conclusions The findings of this study highlight the need for policymakers to tailor HIV/AIDS sensitization efforts to bridge fishers’ HIV/AIDS knowledge gap to reduce their risks of HIV/AIDS infection. Furthermore, policymakers can leverage radio and television to convey their HIV/AIDS messages effectively.