Awareness on prevention and control of HIV/AIDS among the adults attending an urban hospital in Dhaka

Abstract

Background: The aim the study was to evaluate the level of awareness on prevention and control of HIV/AIDS among the adults attending in an urban hospital in Dhaka city in Bangladesh. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study done, from June, 2009 to May, 2010, among 155 adult patients at the age of 18 to 35 years in out- patient department of Dhaka Mohanagar General Hospital, Nayabazar, Dhaka. Purposive sampling technique was followed. Results: This study showed that 46.5 percent of the adults had average knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS was good in 10.3 percent cases, neither good nor bad in 27.1 percent cases and poor in 16.1 percent respondents. 54 percent of the male adults and 50.48 percent of female adults had good knowledge. Lower age (18-27 years) group adults had good knowledge about HIV/AIDS in 53 percent. The knowledge about HIV/AIDS was good in 53.97 percent of literate group. The married adults had good knowledge in 50.85 percent cases. In the employed group, 55.17 percent had good knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Conclusion: Majority of the adults had more or less considerable knowledge on prevention and control of HIV/AIDS irrespective of gender, age, literacy, employment and educational qualification. Therefore, prevention of HIV/AIDS is possible through awareness and behavioral changes irrespective of socio-demographic variables. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jdmc.v23i1.22699 J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 23, No.1, April, 2014, Page 78-83