Table 2.
Awareness of the respondents regarding HIV/AIDS (N = 303)
| Parameter | n | % |
|---|---|---|
| The Term HIV | ||
| Heard about it | 298 | 98 |
| Didn’t hear about it | 5 | 2 |
| Disease Transmission | (n = 298) | |
| Transmissible | 270 | 90.6 |
| Route *- | ||
| Through sexual intercourse | 213 | 78.9 |
| Through blood transfusion | 104 | 38.5 |
| In intravenous drug abuser | 35 | 13 |
| Through equipment & needles | 108 | 40 |
| Mother to child transmission | 54 | 20 |
| Homosexuality | 13 | 4.8 |
| Multiple sex partners | 101 | 37.4 |
| Don’t know | 12 | 4.4 |
| Others | 10 | 3.7 |
| Not Transmissible | 12 | 4 |
| Don’t know about it | 16 | 5.4 |
| Knowledge about symptoms | ||
| Have some idea | 84 | 28 |
| Symptoms *- | ||
| Chronic diarrhea | 9 | 10.7 |
| Malaise | 19 | 22.6 |
| Fever | 54 | 64.3 |
| Rash | 16 | 19 |
| Sore throat | 10 | 11.9 |
| Fatigue | 38 | 45.2 |
| Severe weight loss | 25 | 29.8 |
| Night sweating | 7 | 8.3 |
| Others | 19 | 22.6 |
| Don’t know about it | 214 | 72 |
| Knowledge about risk group | ||
| Persons having multiple sex partners | 119 | 39.9 |
| Homosexual & bisexual person | 21 | 7 |
| Heterosexual partners (including prostitutes) | 192 | 64.4 |
| Intravenous drug abusers | 55 | 18.5 |
| Transfusion recipients of blood & blood products | 65 | 21.8 |
| Long route bus & truck drivers and rickshaw pullers | 34 | 11.4 |
| Don’t know | 63 | 19.5 |
| Others | 12 | 4 |
| Knowledge on protection | ||
| Know about protection* | 221 | 74.2 |
| Using condom | 96 | 43.4 |
| Avoiding multiple sex | 104 | 47.1 |
| Avoiding homosexuality and bisexuality | 13 | 5.9 |
| Avoiding heterosexuality | 159 | 71.9 |
| Avoiding sharing of needle and syringe | 84 | 38 |
| Screening of donated blood | 45 | 20.4 |
| By preventing transmission (mother to child) | 15 | 6.8 |
| Discouraging sharing of tooth brushes and razors | 8 | 3.6 |
| Others | 18 | 8.1 |
| Not preventable | 27 | 9.1 |
| Don’t know about it | 50 | 16.1 |
| Fate of HIV/AIDS infection* | ||
| Curable | 134 | 45 |
| Death | 210 | 70.5 |
| Don’t know | 53 | 17.8 |
| Others | 35 | 11.7 |
| Source of Information* | ||
| Radio/TV | 246 | 82.6 |
| Newspaper | 24 | 8.1 |
| Books | 14 | 4.7 |
| Friends | 35 | 11.7 |
| Health worker | 19 | 6.4 |
| Organized AIDS education program | 11 | 3.7 |
| Can’t remember | 15 | 5 |
| Others | 13 | 4.4 |
| Level of awareness | ||
| Poor | 233 | 76.9 |
| Average | 32 | 12.5 |
| Good | 38 | 10.6 |
*Multiple responses.