Adolescents' perceptions of Aids

Abstract

TWO hundred 14- and 15-year-old school children completed a questionnaire about Aids. Their answers revealed that the large majority have learnt that at present Aids is incurable, that condom use during intercourse offers some protection against HIV infection, and that limiting the number of sexual partners reduces the risk of infection. However, a significant minority had failed to absorb even these simple messages. Levels of knowledge about other preventive measures was slight. When asked what other forms of information they would like to have available, very few mentioned details of transmis sion of HIV or preventive messages, but instead requested details of symptoms, cures and further statistics. These youngsters saw themelves as more knowledgeable than they really were about preven tive measures. This belief will block the uptake of information from health education prgrammes. Such programmes need to be structured carefully to allow youngsters to perceive their relevance.