Awareness and attitude of the general public toward HIV/AIDS in coastal Karnataka

• Main Authors: Unnikrishnan B, Mithra Prasanna, Rekha T, Reshmi B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2010-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Community Medicine
• Subjects: AIDS; attitude; awareness; HIV; stigma
• Online Access: http://www.ijcm.org.in/article.asp?issn=0970-0218;year=2010;volume=35;issue=1;spage=142;epage=146;aulast=Unnikrishnan
• ISSN: 0970-0218; 1998-3581

<b>Objective:</b> To assess the awareness and attitude of the general public toward people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Mangalore, a city in Coastal Karnataka. <b>Design:</b> Community-based cross-sectional study. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> The study population included 630 individuals aged 18 years and above. The information was collected using a semi structured pre-tested questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 24 questions regarding awareness of the modes of transmission of HIV/AIDS (nine questions) and questions to assess the attitude toward People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) (15 questions). Statistical package SPSS version 11.5 was used, Chi-square test was conducted and <i>P</i>&lt; 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. <b>Results:</b> About one-third of the study population thought that one could get infected by merely touching an HIV positive individual. Approximately 45&#x0025; stated that they would dismiss their maid on finding out her HIV positive status. About 54&#x0025; were willing to undergo the HIV test. The respondents with less than secondary school education had a discriminatory attitude toward HIV positive people, with regard to them deserving to suffer, dismissing a HIV positive maid, hesitating to sit next to a HIV positive person in the bus, divorcing the infected spouse, and willingness to get tested for HIV, which was found to be statistically significant. <b>Conclusion:</b> Stigma among the general public was mostly due to fear of contracting the illness. Stigma does exist to significant degrees among the educated people, which was suggested by about 45&#x0025; of the participants being willing to undergo the HIV test. There is a need for greater attempts toward making information regarding HIV/AIDS available to every individual of the society.