Current HIV / AIDS-related knowledge attitudes and practices among the general population in China: implications for action.

China is the world’s most populous country and yet relatively little is known about the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic confronting that nation. The number of cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS in China is not known with any assurance and few data are available about the level of HIV-related knowledge among the population. We analyzed data from a government-sponsored survey conducted in 2000 in seven Chinese counties. Our findings indicate that the general population aged between 15 and 49 years is very often uninformed about basic issues. The results suggest an immediate and urgent call for action in the form of widespread HIV prevention measures. (authors)