Evaluation of Knowledge and Attitude Regarding HIV/AIDS among Adolescents of Varanasi:

Narendra Kumar Sharma

doi:10.21276/ajmr.2019.8.1.CM3

Narendra Kumar Sharma Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Heritage Institute of Medical Sciences, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21276/ajmr.2019.8.1.CM3

Keywords: Young People, HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Attitudes

Abstract

Background: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a well-known major health problem particularly in the developing countries.1 AIDS causes devastation to human life and destroys communities and takes away their hope.2The disease results in impairment of the human immune system and allows the emergence of many kinds of opportunistic infections. Subjects and Methods: A total of 150 adolescents (75-boys and 75-girls) of 13-20 years age group were randomly selected from a school in Varanasi. Simple Random sampling technique was adopted for selection of adolescents for achieving the desired sample size. Results: The study was conducted on 150 adolescents of which 75 were males and 75 females. Among these 133 study participants have knowledge about HIV/AIDS, 124 have knowledge regarding modes of transmission and 89 have knowledge regarding modes of prevention. Among the 133 adolescents, majority of adolescents 87.21% reported that the source of knowledge was electronic media. Conclusion: Burden of HIV/AIDS in the adolescent age group is high in most of the developing countries and in India as well. In the present study, though the study population is aware of the disease HIV/AIDS, but complete knowledge about the disease, its modes of spread and protective measures is not satisfactory. Several misconceptions about the disease do exist amongst the study population.

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