Table 2.

Items that ≥ 30% of participants answered “don’t know” on the pre-tests

Item	Correct Answer	% Answered “don’t know”
High-risk sexual practices
M24. The HIV virus is present in vaginal secretions.	TRUE	36
A16. Pre-ejaculatory fluids carry the AIDS virus.	TRUE	33
M42. Using oil-based lubricants, such as hand lotion, cold cream, food products or baby oil, with a condom will weaken the condom and increase the likelihood that it may break during sex.	TRUE	33
M32. HIV can be transmitted through menstrual blood.	TRUE	32
Risk-reduction steps
M31. Latex condoms are better than natural skin or lambskin condoms in preventing the spread of HIV.	TRUE	36
M43. Boiling “drug works” for 15 minutes before each use will reduce the likelihood of becoming infected with the AIDS virus.	TRUE	34
Misconceptions regarding HIV/AIDS
A30. A positive result on the AIDS antibody test can occur even for people who do not carry the virus.	TRUE	42
A33. Most present cases of AIDS are due to blood transfusions that took place before 1984.	FALSE	37
A29. A negative result on the AIDS virus antibody test can occur even for people who carry the virus.	TRUE	36
M16. An infected mother can give HIV to her infant via breastfeeding (milk).	TRUE	33
A40. The AIDS virus can be transmitted by mosquitoes or cockroaches	FALSE	33
A37. No cases of AIDS have ever been linked to social (dry) kissing.	TRUE	31
A13. The AIDS virus does not penetrate unbroken skin.	TRUE	30

Note. “A” denotes items from the ARBKT. From “An Objective Test of AIDS Risk Behavior Knowledge: Scale Development, Validation, and Norms” by J. A. Kelly, J. S. St. Lawrence, H. V. Hood, and T. L. Brasfield, 1989, Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 20, 227–234. “M” denotes items from the Marsch test (Marsch and Bickel, 2001; Marsch, Bickel, & Jacobs, 1999).