Objective
: To assess knowledge about AIDS / HIV and to know attitude and beliefs
regarding this disease, among adolescent college going students.
Methods : 400 students from the different colleges of science and
commerce were given pre-tested questionnaire to inquire about HIV
and AIDS and need for sex education and AIDS awareness programme.
Results : The aetiology of AIDS, 55% males and 68.98% female students
knew being the HIV virus. 54% knew about heterosexual transmission
and 40% of students were aware about the test for detection of HIV.
Conclusion : Knowledge and awareness about HIV/AIDS is grossly inadequate.
There is immense need to conduct awareness programme about AIDS /
HIV at School, Colleges and Community Level.
Introduction
One of the major achievements of modern medicine has been the conquest
of most of communicable diseases. These diseases were major causes
of mortality and morbidity in earlier decades of twentieth century.
With the development of effective vaccines and modern antibiotics,
the threat of communicable diseases was largely contained.
In the early eighties, when the first few cases of AIDS were reported,
few might have realised its propensity to become a global public health
problem.
In a span of two decades, since its first identification, HIV infection
has become a pandemic and has posed a formidable challenge to mankind,
in almost all aspects of life. Acquired immuno- deficency syndrome
came to be known in India in 1986, and from available data it is clear
that it is sweeping the whole country. The report from NACO published
in 1999 showed that there were approximately 87,313 HIV positive cases
in India and no part of our country is free of HIV infection.1 These
figures grossly underestimate the situation due to underreporting
and inconsistent sero-surveillance in different states in our country.
The alarming rate of its spread, the magnitude of its infection, inordinately
long incubation period and resultant propensity of spread, lack of
curative therapy and vaccine to prevent it mandates the acquisition
of complete knowledge about HIV disease. This acquisition of knowledge
is not only required for medical and paramedical personnel, but also
to some extent, to majority of population, particularly high risk
one. In present circumstances, AIDS prevention largely depends on
health education and behavioural changes based on AIDS awareness,
particularly among young adults who are prone to risky behaviour.
Aim
The aim of the present study was to assess current status of knowledge
and awareness about AIDS and HIV among the college students.
Objectives
* To know about beliefs about this disease.
* To analyze the attitude of these students about HIV infected patients.
* To discuss the formulation and implementation of strategies to increase
the awareness in mass population.
Material And Methods
The study was conducted by one of the units of the department of obstetrics
and gynaecology at L.T.M.G.Hospital, Sion, over a period of 3 months.
Total 400 students from 3 different degree colleges in the faculty
of arts, science and commerce were given a pre-tested questionnaire
on random basis and requested to fill it up and return within 30 minutes.
The questionnaire was designed to know their knowledge and awareness
about various aspects of HIV/AIDS like aetiology, mode of transmission,
diagnosis, treatment and sources of information. It also had questions
about beliefs, myths, attitudes towards HIV victims and the need and
willingness to attend HIV awareness programmes.
The data collected was analysed and is presented in this paper.
The strategies to increase the knowledge and awareness in mass population
were discussed.
Results
Four hundred students from 3 different colleges of the faculty of
science, commerce and arts were given a questionnaire.
There were 184 male students and 216 female students.
52.7% males and 62.03% females knew that AIDS is an infective communicable
disease.
The aetiology of AIDS, being the HIV virus was known to 102 (55%)
males and 149 (68.98%) female students. 18% and 13% males and females
respectively thought it to be a bacterial infection. The fact that
anyone can be infected by the HIV virus was known to 116 (63.03 %)
males and 137 (63.43%) female students.
HIV/AIDS has several established modes of transmission. In our study,
as shown in Table 1, 54% students knew about heterosexual transmission.
The knowledge about perinatal transmission and transmission through
breast-feeding was less.
Beliefs about communicability and transmission by other modes is shown
in Table 2. 4.89% males and 6.48% female students felt that it can
be transmitted by casual contact and handshake.
ELISA test is the most commonly used method for detection of HIV.
Approximately 40% of students knew about the availability of such
a test, but only few of them could write the exact name of the test.
3% of students thought that AIDS could be diagnosed by doing X- rays
(Table 3) .
Though 129 (32.25%)
students had prior exposure to some sort of sex education in school
or college, few had attended any awareness programme on HIV . 71%
of students showed willingness to attend awareness programmes if arranged
(Table 4).
When asked about safe sex, 313 (78.25%) students mentioned use of
condoms, while 169 (42.25%) mentioned a faithful single partner sex
(Table 5) .
Television, newspaper and magazines were the main sources of information
for these students. It was not surprising, in Indian orthodox culture
to find out that only 14.75% students received knowledge or advise
about AIDS from their parents. But this attitude is worrisome and
needs to be changed. About 50% of students also received information
from doctors.
Majority of these students had a sympathetic and caring attitude towards
HIV victims. But 25- 30% of students had said that their attitude
towards friend or spouse may change after knowing about their HIV
status. 64% of students said that HIV testing of both partners must
be done before marriage.
Discussion
HIV infection has become a common problem in India. Nath LM2 (1993)
stated that apart from being found in commercial sex workers and intravenous
drug users, it is spreading rapidly into low risk and no risk segments
of the society.
Apart from having social implications, it has a drastic and devastating
economic impact on the family, society and nation. Thus it is important
to take immediate steps to minimize the further spread of this disease.
Major bulk of population in India is rural, where literacy, education
level and awareness about this disease are very negligible. In Mumbai,
we found that knowledge about AIDS was quite less, even in college
students.
In our study, aetiology of AIDS/HIV was correctly known to 52.7% of
male students and 62.03% of female students. 4.89% male students and
6.48% female students felt that AIDS can be transmitted by casual
contact or handshake. A large majority of students felt that a mutually
faithful single partner and use of condoms are means of safe sex.
Similar studies conducted at the Delhi university by Benara et al
3 in 1992 and at Baroda university by Baxi S.4 in 1994 showed similar
results (Table 6). Results of these studies clearly stress the need
for health education and AIDS awareness programmes for populations
in general and high risk groups in particular. The young adolescents
come in the high risk group because of their propensity in indulging
in risky sexual activity and drugs.
 |
Few people actually
know a person living with AIDS/HIV (PLWHA) within their circle of
acquaintance . A strong media campaign to increase the awareness about
HIV/AIDS and propagate method of ‘SAFE SEX’ is imperative.
A campaign against ‘DRUGS’ can also be of great help in
containing HIV spread.
The swelling number of PLWHA indicates that ignoring sex-related education
can no longer be done. Educational institutions will have to teach
the students not merely about ‘sex’, but educate them
about value systems and healthy behaviour. Special strategies are
needed for children who cannot attend school and they should be approached
through youth-groups in the streets, fields or factories where they
work. UNICEF has recognized the Uganda Education Ministry Model’s
countrywide syllabus on sex-education and self-esteem development
for primary and secondary schools. In India, NCERT and NACO hope to
introduce a curriculum on family life education, to develop understanding
of responsible sexual behaviours and the dangers of HIV/AIDS.
The men folk of the nation should be mainly targeted for awareness
of their responsibility towards women children and their own lives.
Information, Education, Communication (IEC) programmes must have both
targeted interventions with vulnerable groups and mass-media components
to reach out at the grass-root level. In a multi-religious, multi-lingual
country like India, different cultural contexts have to be considered
.
India has many systems of health care viz; Ayurved, Homoeopathy, Unani,
Siddha and Naturopathy catering to a substantial population. It is
important that all health care providers be adequately trained to
protect themselves and their patients from HIV-infection and they
must treat patients with dignity and without discrimination. All medical
and para-medical professionals should receive training and education
with great stress on HIV-related topics, so that they will ensure
that Universal Safety Health Precautions are followed in the best
interests of the patients and health-care provider. AIDS attracts
intense public attention. Incorrect statements by professionals can
be construed as factual by the lay public. AIDS information, which
stirs up fears of contagion in the absence of supportive discussion
and counseling, can be worse than no information at all. Conveying
information adequately and responsibly, especially by the medical
fraternity is extremely important.
Conclusion
Prevalence and incidence of AIDS/HIV is rapidly increasing in India.
Unfortunately at present, even in most of the urban population, the
awareness about this dreaded disease is low. As the possibility of
development of a vaccine for prevention of AIDS appears remote in
the near future, alternate strategies must be formulated and implemented
on urgent basis. The most viable and acceptable step would be to increase
the education and awareness about this disease in the general population.
The following steps can be recommended in this regards:
* Implementation of HIV/AIDS awareness programmes in schools, colleges
and community
* Emphasis on fatal and incurable nature of the disease.
* Inclusion of sex education and family life education in school/college
curriculum.
* Inclusion
of HIV/AIDS in detail in curriculum of other types of medical faculties
like Ayurveda, Unani Homoeopathy etc and involvement of these doctors
in AIDS awareness programmes.
* Mass education using television, radio, newspaper etc for propagating
safe sex and dispelling the myths and propagating the use of condoms.
Propagating against drug abuse should be included in these programmes.
Acknowledgement
We thank our Head of Department and Dean for allowing us to use
and publish the Hospital data.
References
1. Nath LM. HIV/AIDS Update; Indian J of commun med 1993; Vol.
18 : 26-32.
2. Nath LM. The epidemic in India; An overview, in the coming epidemic-Edwin
Peter ,ed -29.
3. Benara SK, Khalendra RK, Choudhary BN, Dutta KK. AIDS: Indian J
of commun med 1992; Vol. 17 : 155-167.
4. Baxi S, Baxi R.K.,Hazara Maya: Knowledge of HIV/AIDS among college
students of Baroda university: J of obst and gyn: India, 1994; 44
: 784-789.
*Associate Professor; **Lecturer; ***Registrar; +Senior Registrar;
++Hon. Prof. and Unit Head; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Ltmgh and Ltmmc, Sion, Mumbai.
