Assessment of knowledge, attitude and behaviour concerning STD/HIV in selected populations.
SUMMARY: In light of the world-wide AIDS epidemic the control of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) has gained increasingly in importance. Scientific evidence suggests that 80% of HIV infections are spread by the sexual route and that there is an interrelationship between HIV and STD (Adler, MW, 1...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
c1997.
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Visit NHRC Library |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| LEADER | 06264nam a22002177a 4500 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 005 | 20220906184540.0 | ||
| 008 | 191203b ||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d | ||
| 952 | |0 0 |1 0 |4 0 |6 RES_00001_000000000000000_ERP_1997 |7 0 |9 414 |a NHRC |b NHRC |d 2012-06-27 |l 0 |o RES 00001/ERP/1997 |p RES-00001a |r 2012-06-27 |w 2012-06-27 |y RR | ||
| 999 | |c 408 |d 408 | ||
| 060 | |a RES-00001 | ||
| 100 | |a Erpelding, Anne. |9 1625 | ||
| 245 | |a Assessment of knowledge, attitude and behaviour concerning STD/HIV in selected populations. | ||
| 260 | |c c1997. | ||
| 300 | |a 33p. ; | ||
| 500 | |a Research Report. | ||
| 520 | |a SUMMARY: In light of the world-wide AIDS epidemic the control of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) has gained increasingly in importance. Scientific evidence suggests that 80% of HIV infections are spread by the sexual route and that there is an interrelationship between HIV and STD (Adler, MW, 1996). For example, in sub-saharan Africa 70% of the HIV infection is found in patients with an STD and likewise, 15 to 30% of STD patients in Thailand were found to be HIV positive (over and piot in Adler,1996). In resource limited settings such as Nepal, primary prevention, e.g.health education and condom promotion remain one of the most cost-effective strategies for STD/HIV prevention, the following study was undertaken in the context of the operational research component of the CEC supported STD/HIV project. This is descriptive study using a questionnaire to collect structured information about the knowledge, attitude and behaviour(KAB) of selected target populations in an urban area of south-central Nepal. Three groups in the sexually active age: Policemen, antenatal care clients(ANC) and students from campuses and high schools were included in the study. These groups were selected because they were easily accessible. The study was carried out jointly by the project team and New Era, a national research organization. The objectives of the study were: • To assess the knowledge and attitude about STD/HIV?AIDS in groups with potentially risky behaviour • To identify the health seeking behaviour with regards to STD • To identify sexual behaviour patterns A total of 1919 questionnaire were collected 500 from police, 493 from ANC patients, 427 from campus students (250male, 177 female ) and 500 (251male and 249 female ) from high school students. The mean age was 24.6years for policemen, 22.2 years for ANC patients, 18.6 years for campus and 15.3 years for high school, students. Thirty-seven percent of the respondents were Chetri, 25.7% Brahmin, 11.6%people originating from the Terai (Tharu, yadav, Muslim), 9.8% people originating from the hills (Magar, Rai, Gurung, Tamang), 13.8% belonged to other ethnic groups/castes (Newar, Shudra, Vaishya). The majority (92.7%) were Hindu. Regarding the educational level of police and ANC patients , over half (52%) of the policemen had completed campus and more than a third(37%) attended campus. In contrast , 46.5% of the ANC patients were illiterate, 17.5% had attended primary highschool, 26.8% campus and 7.9% campus. We found major differences in knowledge between the different froups, but also within groups, according to gender. The concept of Bhiringi, as described by focus group participants in the qualitative study was confirmed by our study population. The study revealed interesting information about sexual behaviour while other findings, for example the gap between knowledge and practice confirmed results from similar studies carried out in Nepal and elsewhere. The key issues emerging from the study are the following: • The overall awareness about SYD/HIV/AIDS was found to be quite high, although misperceptions regarding non-sexual transmissions routes of HIV were still frequent. For example, a quarter of policemen,9.1% of the ANC patients and 18% of male high school students thought that HIV/AIDS is transmitted through insect bites. Other misperceptions mentioned included sharing of clothes and sitting on a warm seat. • The study confirmed that there is a wide gap between knowledge and practice. More than half of the male campus students indicated, avoiding multiple partners as a means of preventing Bhiringi, but 15% of these had two or more partners in the past four months. More than a third of those indicating multiple sex partners did not use a condom despite the fact that 81.6% of the campus students aware that condoms prevent STD/HIV infections. • Among adolescents the beginning of sexual activity was found to be around 15 years. male campus students were sexually the most active and are therefore at risk of contracting STDs: 13.6% reported to have had sex with two or more partners in the last four months. • We found differences of up to 50% in the level of knowledge between male and female students, suggesting that knowledge on STD/HIV is not only determined by education, but also by gender. For example ,81.6% of the male campus students indicated condoms were used to avoid STD?HIV, but only 35% of the female students were aware of this fact. We also found that women in general had less clear opinions about statements on STD and condom use than men. • Women are at a double risk of contracting STD/HIV. Firstly, because of the insufficient knowledge and their low status in society they are not in a position to protect themselves adequately from STDs. Secondly, they may be at risk due to their husband's risky sexual behaviour. the risk is greatest when her partner belongs to an occupational group which is staying away from the family over longer periods of time. The following recommendations were made: • Misperceptions regarding the transmission of HIV/AIDS and Bhiringi need to be corrected • Awareness should be created to link STD/HIV related knowledge to an individual own behaviour • Gender specific education programme on reproductive health addressing the need of adolescents need to be developed • Women need better information on the importance of STD prevention and timely treatment • Further research into information networking of adolescents is required | ||
| 546 | |a eng. | ||
| 650 | |a Knowledge. |9 344 | ||
| 700 | |a Bista, K P |9 1627 | ||
| 856 | |u http://nhrc.gov.np/contact/ |y Visit NHRC Library | ||
| 942 | |2 NLM |c RR | ||