The representation of HIV/AIDS in the media and its impact among young people in Namibia: A study of Windhoek and Katima Mulilo

HIV/AIDS poses a serious challenge to Namibia's socio-economic development. The virus affects the country's most economically active segment: young people between the ages of 15 and 49. A number of communication campaigns have been carried out to mitigate the spread of the virus. This article reports on a study that examined the impact of media representations of HIV/AIDS on behaviour change among young people in Namibia. The study also sought to examine the extent to which the audience's interpretations of these representations influenced their behaviour. The findings demonstrate the effects HIV/AIDS messages had on the participants. These include a process of reinterpretation, negotiation and rejection of some of the media representations of HIV/ AIDS. The paper is based on a final year research project carried out at the Department of Information and Communication Studies, University of Namibia, in 2007. © 2008 SAGE Publications.