CM1_Amit edit

Background: Awareness on human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome (AIDS) can help reduce the risk of contracting this public health important disease and associated burdens. However, today’s adolescent grows up surrounded by mixed messages about HIV/AIDS. Objectives: To assess awareness on HIV/AIDS among adolescent students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescent students of a selected secondary Public school of Delhi. Sample comprised 100 students (Class IX) selected through random sampling from the study school. Data were collected using a pre-designed, pilot-tested, semi-structured questionnaire focusing on awareness on HIV/AIDS. Results: Awareness of sample respondents (67 boys and 33 girls, aged 14-18 years) on various aspects of HIV/AIDS was as follows: immune-deficiency nature of disease (49.5%), asymptomatic in initial stage (55.9%), transmission routes (73.2%), relationship between HIV and sexually-transmitted infections (28.0%), risk from having multiple partners (68.0%), risk from sharing unsterilized needles (48.9%), no transmission through mosquitoes (49.0%), no risk from merely living together (45.7%), no risk from sharing clothes (55.2%), no risk from handling food (43.5%), no risk from studying together (74.5%), no vaccine available (41.4%), and some preventive/safety measures (blood testing, 60.0%, condom usage, 67.7%). Conclusion: Adolescent students have a mixed pattern of awareness on HIV/AIDS. A significant proportion of them does not know about its risk factors, risk practices and preventive/safety measures, which may pose an increased risk of this disease to them. It calls for suitable measures (like appropriate HIV/AIDS education programmes) to increase their awareness on HIV/AIDS and reduce risk of this disease.