A study of awareness regarding HIV/AIDS among secondary school students

Background: HIV/AIDS has rapidly established throughout the world over the past three decades and has emerged as the important public health problem. Adolescents are at greater risk of acquiring infection because of changing behavior pattern. More than one third of reported cases of HIV/AIDS in India are among youth. Adolescents and youth need information to equip them in order to make choices in form of sexual behavior or relationships. Objective of the study was to assess the awareness of the school children regarding HIV/AIDS. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November to January 2016 in four randomly selected government coeducational higher secondary schools of Bhopal city of Madhya Pradesh. A total of 256 students from 9 th to 11 th class were included in the study. The statistical analysis were performed using the Microsoft excel and epi-info software Results: In the study, awareness regarding mode of transmission of HIV/AIDS was found expressed as unprotected sex by 85.94% students. Awareness regarding prevention of HIV/ AIDS, 70.70% students believes condoms as a best means of protection against HIV followed by safe blood (43.75%), disposable syringes (40.23%). Conclusions: The basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS over various issues is deficient among many students. Information, Education and Communication is the effective means to be disseminated as campaign at school level for preventing and protecting adolescents from the HIV/AIDS and spread awareness to induced behavioral change among the adolescents.