From: Indigenous knowledge of HIV/AIDS among High School students in Namibia
Regions | Typical symptoms | Non-typical symptoms |
---|---|---|
Caprivi | Weight loss, flu or colds, fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, coughing, neck pain, thin, getting thin without being sick, high temperature, gonorrhoea, syphilis, TB, headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, malaria, night sweats, weakness, pain when passing urine, rash, sores on body, spots on body, stressed, lonely, tired, and pneumonia. | Body changes colour, cannot work, red lips, impaired vision, aloof, painful joints, and hair changes colour. |
Kavango | Burning during urination, coughing, diarrhoea, weight loss, fatigue, headache, fever, having different diseases, high temperature, insanity, blind, TB, loss of appetite, loss of weight and body colour, low CD4 count, many opportunistic infections, persistent dry cough, sores on body, sores on sex organs, sores around anus, skin rashes, tired and weak all the time, and vomiting. | Dizziness, too fat, spots on face, and pimples. |
Khomas | Thin, coughing, fever, vomiting, nausea, skinny, flu, fragile and sick, gonorrhoea, headaches, helpless, loss of appetite, loss of weight, sick every time, skinny, sores on body, sores on genitals, TB, and rashes. | Red eyes, laziness, afraid of being with others, their shape starts to change, sleeps too much, and their stress levels increase. |
Ohangwena | Diarrhoea, coughing, high blood pressure, always sick, thin, body weakness, headache, change of skin colour, loss of appetite, coughing deep, ulcers around mouth, unexpected weight loss, fever, body sores, impaired vision, loss of appetite, persistent cough, whooping cough, low CD4 count, have STDs most times, pimples around body, skin rashes, swollen glands, swollen skin, syphilis, gonorrhoea, TB, malaria, tired, night sweats, and many opportunistic infections. | Neck stiffness, neck pain, loses temper, not peaceful, stays away from relatives, swollen legs, and skin becomes dark. |
Omusati | TB, weight loss, thin, coughing, many diseases manifest at once, body weakness, loss of appetite, persistent cough, headache, diarrhoea, bad cough, STDs, fever, tiredness, body weakness, high body temperature, sores around mouth, lack of confidence, cannot work long hours, loss of energy, many wounds on body, rashes, syphilis, gonorrhoea, short body, sores on genitals, swollen glands, vomiting, feeling cold, and weak. | Big head, change of skin colour, loss of muscles, vomiting, sneezing, running nose, hair becomes yellow and old-like, hair falling, smallpox on face, sores around mouth, bald head, red eyes, sore lips, very angry at people, and stressed. |
Oshikoto | Coughing, vomiting, thin, neck stiffness, diarrhoea, fever, loss of appetite, headache, tired, stressed, weight loss, low CD4 count, loss of body colour, STDs, TB, and fatigue. | Angry, impaired vision, neck pain, sneezing, swollen muscles, unfriendly to others, dizziness, and wounds all over the body. |