CHAPTER -2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

There has been a spate of studies In recent times on HIV!AIDS

and sexuality and also cures for kt The last 20 years have especially

witnessed a large number of press reports, articles, publ~cations,and

reports from the prlnt and the electronic med~a

Such artlcles have appeared In a number of journals throughout

the world A number of books on HIVIAIDS have been publlshed and

some research projects on ~t have been undertaken It is ~mposslbleto

examine all this l~teratureand present a summary of ~t in thls chapter.

Hence an examinat~on of the more important stud~es only has bee^

attempted here, cspec~allykeeplng in vlew thelr contextual relevance to

the present study, which is, In fact, a relatively virgln area of study

The following paragraphs h~ghlightthe relevant research works on

HIVIAIDS in the chronological order.

The purpose of the present study is to analyze and find out the

level of knowledge, attltude and behaviour related to HIV and sexuality

among the youth of the U T. of Pondlcherry. In order to facilitate such a

study, a knowledge and evaluat~on of slmllar works done becomes

essential. Hence, the researcher went through a number of books,

journals, magazines, and reports publlshed and unpublished by national

and international organizations, scholars, and administrators

 According to Fantahun, M and Chala. F', knowledge score were

better than attitude and practice scores. Agc, sex, manta1 status.

education status, and occupation were s~gnificantly related with

knowledge, att~tude, and practlce To Improve knowledge, emphasis

should be laid on measures such as mak~ng the servlces provid~ng

knowledge access~bleto the youth

Another study was conducted in 1996 by S ~ g n o r e l l C

~ , and Renzi.

C' to evaluate knowledge and sexual behaviour among the Italians. After

sexual activity has been begun, ~t IS hardly seems to be l ~ m ~ t eto

d

monogamy or to be always regulated by AIDS prevenllng practices. The

first sexual Intercourse begins to occur more frequently after age of 18.

and condoms are used more frequently, part~cularlyin occasional sex

A study was conducted In 1996 by' Alvarez B Garc~a. Lopez

C.Menendez, Garcia L Bobla and Fernandez ~ . ~ o r r n l e to

s ' find out the

knowledge, attitudes;and practices among students and trainees regarding

HIVIAIDS in Mieres. From the study, it was found that the majority of

the students were well ~nformedand that they had sufficient knowledge of

and inforrnat~on about HIVIAIDS. They were aware of the needed

preventive measures and the use of condoms, and believed that today's

youth is chang~ng.ltsl ~ f estyle because of HIVIAIDS. Inspite of knowing

'M F~nlshunand F Chals'LSexualbchavtovr and knowledge and allllude lowards

.
HIV1AII;)Samong out alachool youth" Mcdltnc EthlapMcd-l 1996 Ocl 34(4) 233.42.
C Signorell, and C Rsnn "Sexual bchavmur o ~ I l a i i l nyouths In oonnccllon to AIDS
risk" Mcdline Sol-Pravcnl~vmcd. 1996.41(6) 359.65.
the basic facts about HIVIAIDS, students have many mistaken ideas about

the use of condoms, pregnancy, preventive measures, sharing o f syringes.

etc.

The study conducted by Lagarde E. Plson G and C ~ n e l 'descrlbe

the determinants of 'at risk' sexual behav~ourand perceptions of AIDS

related prevention messages in rural Afrlca The results of the study show

that the men and women had declared that they had used a condom in

most of t h e n casual sex Seasonal migrants and dlvorced o r widowed

women were those who had casual sex The casual sex was motivated by

material needs. Men and women exhibit two different patterns regarding

their behaviour and perceptions t o ~ a r d sAID6

Ashebir, D.Z" carried out a study on HIVIAIDS awareness.

knowledge, and practice among the S T D patlents in Eth~opia. The

majority of the patients were aware that the transmission of HIV takes

place through sax, and, that the use of condoms 1s one of the preventive

measures. Though there is a good deal of awareness of the existence of

HIVIAIDS, its main route of transmission, and, to some extent of

methods of prevention, the real problem lies in the d~fficultyo f changing

lndivldual sexual behaviour

'~lvsrezGsrcts 0 , Lopez Mcnendcz C. Osrcls Bobla Land E Fernandcz Corraler

"Knowledge, atllludc and pracltee in rclatlon wllh HIVIAIDS nnfeclian In hlgh ochool and
vocallonsl Iralnfngin Mpc6" Mcdlln~Aten.Pr~marls 1996 Ocl 18(7).362-7
.
' ~ ~ ~ a Er dPison
c O and C Encl "Knowlsdsc, rtt~tvdeand perocptlon of AlDS In
rural Seneg~l.Relat~onsh~p to sexvnl behaviour and bchsviour change" Medllne AIDS 1996
Mar 10 31 327.34
'Ashcblr D Z "HIVIAIDS swarenesJ,knowledge and practice tn p&l!enlrwllh
sexually transmfllsd dlreasss" Elhiop-Med-l 1996 Inn. 25.12
38
 Another study was conducted by Muto T . Fukuwatarl Y and

~ . 0 n o d aamong
~ Japanese businesses to know the bel~efsand attltude

towards AIDS policies in Japan The majority of the companies had

already implemented or was developing AIDS educat~onmeasures and

they had realized that providtng education about AIDS to thelr employees

was necessary. The majority of the companies wanted to be provlded with

gu~delinesregarding the counseling courses they wanted to conduct

A study was conducted by Hang G , Xu 1,and Z 0ong7 to know the

AIDS related knowledge, attitude, and behav~ourIn servicemen in China.

The study shows that the majorlty of the servicemen knew about the rlsk

of AIDS and its route of transmission correctly Their source of

knowledge about AIDS was mainly .from newspapers, magaz~nes and

extra curricular books. Most of them thought that they had very little or

no chance of contacting the ~llness.The service men thought that brlnging

about changes in risky behaviour play a major role in the prevention of

HIV infection

A study by Buga G.A., Amoko D.H. and D . J ~ c a y i ~ a n aon

'

adolescent sexual behaviour, knowledge and attitudes to sexuality among

school girls was conducted In South Africa The majority of the girls in

' ~ u t oT, Fukuwatarl Y and Onoda K "Bellefr md attltudcs towards AlDS pollc~er
and educational programs among Japanese buscnesses" Medline Ocoup-Mcd-Oxf. 1996 Oc1
46(5), 336.60
.
Hang G Xu 1 and Z Gong "A study on AlDS related knowledge, attitude and
behsvlour ~nrsrviccmen in China" Msdline Chung.Hua-Yu.Fang-I-Hsueh-Tsa~Chih. 1996
Mar. 10(1). 94-7
the study had experienced sex and they were l~vingwith their parents

There was no religious difference between the groups. Contraceptive

biology among the girls was generally poor The girls did not approve of

premarrtal sex, and introducing sex education in schools

Datta C. and D ~ a n d y o p a d h ~conducted

a~~ a study in Calcutta

among in servrce nurses to know their knowledge and attitude In relation

to HIVIAIDS. The nurses showed a satisfactory level of knowledge, but

misconceptions regarding disinfection and precautronary mehsures were

present and a significant percentage of them had a negative attltude and

unw~llrngness to provide care for HIV infected patients Knowledge

deficit regarding HIV infection might lead to a negative attltude, whrch

results in rmpedlng proper care. The study suggested that continuous in

service trainlng is needed to dispel the misconceptions

According to Chipfakaeha V.G" the traditional healers in South

Africa was increased due to HIVIAIDS. The trad~tionalhealers' use of

sharp instruments amounts to risky behaviour and they believe that

HIVtAIDS is not a new disease Thus they did not have correct

information about AIDS Rapport between trad~tronal healers and

scientific medical personnel is essential for to ensure proper treatment to

the patients concerned.

'8ugs G A, Amok0 D H and D J.Ncayiyane 'Adoicsccnl scxual bchav~our,

knowledge and att~tudarto sexuality among school girls" Mcdllne, Earl.Afr-Mcd-J I996
Feb. 7x2). 95.100.
'Dalta C, i n d D Bandyopadhyay "Knowledge and atlllude In rslst~onto HIVIAIDS
among ~n.nervioe nurses" Msdline. J-Indian-Mcd-Asnoc. 1997 Mar. 950). 75-7.
 In a study by Rotheram Borus M J.. Gillls J R , Reid H.M ,

Fernandez M.l and M ~ w a d z " on HIV testing, behaviours and

knowledge among adolescents it was found that the knowledge of the

meaning and the consequences of testing was high, on the Contrary youth

who were older, lapelled themselves to be bisexual The study suggested

the need for more detailed observat~onalstudies of HIV testtng behaviour

that Include evaluation of the characteristics of the youth, the testing site,

and the attitudes and beliefs of the providers offering HIV testing.

Tuchinda S, Chotpitayasunondh T. and ~.Teeraratkul"conducted

a study in Thailand and recommended regular school based progranlrnes

of education to increase awareness of preventive strategies for HIVIAIDS

and sexually transmttted diseases The students' sources of knowledge

were the TV, teachers, pamphlets, newspapers, radio, health care workers

and friends.

According to Cabedo Garcia V R, and M.A.PI~~o",thegreater the

lack of knowledge, the greater was the worry and fear generated by each

situation. The study detected important divergences between knowledge

about paths of non-transmission and the anxiety and the fear generated.

The preventive campaigns had contributed to knowledge but they had no1

"V G Chlpfakacha "STDIHIVIAIDS knowledge, bellcis and pracllcea of lrnd~tlonai

healers"
. - Madline A1nP.Pa.e 1991 ...- ~, 417-21
A u s 9141 -~

"~olhernmBorus M.I , Gillir J.R., Reid H M , Fernmdez M.I. snd M Owadz "HIV
testing, behnv!ours, and knowledge among adolescsnts st high r ~ s k "Medline. I-Adolssc.
Health 1997 Mar. 20(3):216-25.
"Tuch~ndo S.,Chotpbtayssunondh T and A.Tecrnratkul "Knowledge,alttludc, and
practices of senior school students regarding human ~mmunodcfic~ency virus tnfccl~an"
Mcdlinc. I-Mod-Arsoc.Thsi 1998 Feb. 81(2). 130.5
helped to modify the drscrirninating attitudes towards people w ~ t h

HIVIAIDS.

The study conducted by Valirnaki M, Suomlnen T and l . ~ e a t e "

shows that during the 1990s the research interest in issues related to the

attitudes towards HIVIAIDS has rap~dlyIncreased Most of the work on

HIV has been done in the USA wrth the main focus on emprrical research

The attention has mostly been on students and their anrtudes towards

HIVIAIDS and sexual behavrour and, as the attitudes have been highly

resistant to change, more consideration needs to be given to findrng out

appropriate ways of educating the general publlc as yell as students. A

cornprehenslve analysis is needed of the different tools used In measuring

the attitudes towards AIDS and AIDS patlents

Another study conducted by Gregson S, Zhuwau T, Anderson R M.

and S.K C h a n d ~ w a n a ' v n Zimbabwe suggests that effectrve behaviour

change is facilitated by greater knowledge, experience, and personal risk

perception, but obstructed by low female autonomy, martial and economic

status, male labour migrat~on, and alcohol consumption Intensified

behav~ourinterventrons are needed whrch should rnclude peer education

"cabsdo Garcia V R I n d M A.Pin1o "Differences between knowledge and att~tudcs

to AiDS in adolc~eenis"Medline. Aten-Primarla. 1998 Jun 2211):27-32
.
"Valimak~ M Suomtnon 7 and I Pestc "Atutudes o f professionIls, students and the
general public of H I V I A I D S md people wlth H I V I A I D S A Rcvlew of the Research''

.
Mcdlinc, J-Adv-Nurs. 1998 Apr 2 7 ( 4 ) 752-9
regso son S., Zhuwav T Anderson R.M md S.K Chandiwsna "Is there ev~dcncefor
behav~ourohange in response to AIDS in rural" Msdlins, Soc-Scl-Med. 1998 Feb 4613) 321-
30.
42
initiatives targeting the men and individuals without access to the modern

media.

The study conducted in the USA by Villarruel A.M , Jemmolt L S ,

Howard M., Taylor L and E gushE6on what is being preached among

adolescents by peer educators showed that HIV prevention intervention

needs to include information about specific risk behaviours such as uslng

condoms for oral sex, and cleanlng drug paraphernalia Community based

and church based programmes and visible HIV prevention messages were

identified by adolescents as relevant approaches to reduce the HIV

infect~onamong the population.

The study by O'Hara P., Parris D., Fichtner R R, and R.Ost,i"

proved that the use of alcohol and drugs, and the age of sexual intt~ation

were significantly associated with a high-risk profile score. The majority

of the youth had adm~ttedthat they had not used condoms and had alcohol

before sex The study suggested that as far as drop out prevention among

youth was concerned, the association of alcohol and drug use w ~ t h

HIVIAIDS risk IS significant, and that prevention programmes need to

target alcohol and drug use as an important tnfluence on risky sexual

behaviour

"Vtllarruel A M., Jernrnoll L S,, Howard M .Taylor L and E Bush "HIV kmlwlcdge.
bcl~efs,and behaviours of adolescents and adolescent peer educators" Mcdl~nc,J.Assoc.
Nurses-AIDS-Core 1998 Sap.-OCI.9 ( 5 ) . 61-72
" 0 ' ~ a t aP.. Parrls D , F~chlncrR R and R.Oster 'Influence of blcohol and drug use
of AIDS rlsk bchnvlour among youth in dropout prevention" Mcdllnc, J-Drug-Educ.1998 28
(2). 159.68.
43
 The study by Warren C.W , Santelli J S., Everett S.A , Kann L..

Collins J.L., Cassell C., Morris L. and L . J . K O I ~ ~on" sexual behav~our

among US high school students said that the black students who are were

more experienced sexually than w h ~ t estudents Black students relatively

younger, have more partners at first Intercourse. Gender d~fferencesin

sexual behaviour were found more frequently among black students than

the white students Although the levels of sexual experience for h ~ g h

schoql students In US have not rlsen, a very high percentage of students

continue to be at risk for untntended pregnancy and STDs, including HIV

~nfection

Valleroy L.A., MacKellar D A,, Karon J M , Janssen R S , and

c . ~ . ~ a y m a nconducted
" a study among out of school youth in US to

know the demographic characteristics of youth. It suggests that HIV

prevalence for disadvantaged out of school youth ddclined from 1990

through 1996. However, cons~dering their youth, prevalence was still

high, particularly for women and African Amertcans, most notably,

African American women. The study supported the idea of ongoing HIV

prevention programmes target~ngsuch youth

.
"~arrenC.W.. Sanvlll 1 S Everett S A . Kann L., Colllna J L , Cassell C , Morris
L. and L J.Kolbe "Sexual bchaviovr among US high rohool studonlr" Mcdlins, Farn.Plann-
Pcrspcct. 1998 Jul-Aug. 30(4). 170.2, 200
.
"~alicroy L A,, MacKcllar D A Karon J.M.. lanrrcn R S and C R Hayman, "HIV
~nkctmnIn diradvanugcd oul.of-school youth Prevalence for US Job Cotpa entrants, 1990
lhrough 1996'' Mcdl~nc,1 ~ A c q u 1 r ~ l m m u n c ~ D e F i ~ ~ S y n d 1 ~ H ~ m - R ~1998
L r o Ssp
~ 1 r o19(1)
l 67.
73
 An AustralIan study done by Warr D. and B.~aste'' recognized that

a sound knowledge of HIV transmiss~on is lnsufficrent on ~ t sown to

ensure that youth practice safer sex. knowledge of the modes of

transmiss~onof HIV as well as STD is a necessary pre-requ~siteto safe

sex behaviour. The study shows that the respondents had hlgh levels of

HIV knowledge but ltttle tdea about the transmission of the other STDs

The study conducted In Cambodia by Prybylski D. and W A.AIIO"

shows that the sex workers knew that condoms offered protection against

HIVIAIDS; although one-quarter of sex the workers dtd not always use

condoms. Desp~tetheir high level of baseline HIVIAIDS knowledge,

nearly all the sex workers requested that additional health education

materials be made available to them, and their customers. They reported

twice as many sexual contacts per day and used condoms less frequently

than community based sex workers

The study by Vogels T., Brugman E, and an-zessen" AIDS

related knowledge, att~tudes, and behav~our; A comparison of Dutch

students' and dropouts, study concluded that In most respects dropouts

are similar to those who have rematned in schools. The study dtsproved

the idea that the school dropouts could be expected to be less

"Warr D and B.Hastc "Rural youth. HIVISTD knowledge levels and sources of
information" Mcdline, Ausl-J.Rural-Hcallh 1998 Feb 6(1), 18.26
" ~ t ~ b ~ lD.r kand
i W A Alto "Knowiedgc, allttuder and pracllccs oancsrntng
HIVIAIDS among sex workers" Mcdl~ne.AIDS.Cere. 1999 A u g 1 l ( 4 ) . 459-72
" ~ o ~ s Tl..s Bvugmao E and G.Van Zcssen "AIDS related knowledse, att!tudcs, and
behsv~ourA oompsrtaon of Dutch students end dropouts" Medline. Adalescencc 1999 34
( 1 3 4 ) 369-79.
45
knowledgeable about AIDS and to show a h~gher degree of risky

behavlour as compared to their school-attend~ngpeers

Another study was conducted by Hardlng A K , Anadu C E., Gray

L.A , and ~ . ~ . ~ h a m ~ etoadetermine

u" the knowledge level of the UG

students of a Nigerian University about HIVIAIDS. The results lndlcated

that while the students were knowledgeable about the mode of

transm~ssionof HIV, but there were some misconceptions about it. The

students were exercising caution only when negotiating new sexual

relationships. The students had obtained information about HIViAIDS

primar~lyfrom the media rather than from school classrooms and homes,

whlch suggests a need to increase the educat~onalefforts at the Univers~ty

level.

A Singapore study conducted by Llm V.K.. Teo T.S., Teo A C. and

K . T . T ~ ~examines
" the level of knowledge among youth in S~ngapore

regarding HIV transmission and t h e ~ ratt~tudetowards worklng with an

HIV infected person at the workplace. The study suggests that youth in

Singapore are generally clear that HIV can be transmitted only through

sexual contact, blood transfusion, and from women to her unborn child

However, sizeable number of youth still possesses a number of

misconceptions about how HIV, can be transmitted AIDS education'and

- ~ a r d l n A.K,
~ Ansdu E C., Gray L A and D A.Chsmpeau "N~gcrianunlversity
students' knowledge, perceptions. and bchav~ourrabout HIVIAIDS are there sludenls 81
rlsko"Mcdiinc, 1-R-Soo-Hcallh 1999 Mar 1190) 21.31
U ~ V.K., ~ mTeo T S , Teo A,C and K T.Tsn "HIV and youlhs In Slngspore
knowledge, ntiludca and wtilingncss to work with HIV.infccled parsons" Mcdllne,
Singspore-Mcdd 1999 Jun. 40(6), 410.5.
46
campaigns may increase knowledge and awareness about HIV but they do

not really reduce personal concern about the possibility of infect~onand

the potential sttgma associate with working with HIV ~nfectedpersons.

To describe the sexual behav~our among the residents of the

commercial farms in Zimbabwe, a study was conducted by Chikovore J

and ~ , ~ . ~ b i z v oexamine
' ~ o the implications of HIVIAIDS

transmission The results of the study show that while the HIVIAIDS

prevention measures largely rely on indiv~dual behavioural change.

preventive efforts should also encompass d~fferencesIn sexual behaviour

The study stressed the need for more research work that attends to the

determinants of reporting behaviour beyond the aspects of the reported

behaviour per se.

A study at a university in Finland conducted by Serlo K L. and

~ . ~ a v a r i n n ewas
" intended to assess the students' attitudes and feelings

towards HIVIAIDS while they were studying. The most iimportant source

of getting information proved to be a school nurse. Knowledge dld not

increase the use of safe sex, but limlted sexual behaviour Religion had an

important effect on sexual behaviour. Female students were more sexually

active than male students The negative feelings that were found were

based on fear.

YChikovore J snd M,1',Mbizvo "AIDS related knowlcdgt and sexuli behaviour

among cornmtrolrl firm rcridents" Medllnt. Cent-Afr.J.Med 1999 Jan 45(1). 7-10
Userlo K.L. and H.Aavarinne "Attitudes of unlrersily riudentr towards HIVIAIDS"
Mcdlinc. J.Adv-Nurs. 1999 Feb. 29(2).463.70
47
 Another study conducted by McKelvey R.S., Webb J.A., Baldassar

L.V., Robinson S.M., and Riley Gin on nursing students concluded that
the negative attitudes toward controversial aspects of human sexuality

and lower sex knowledge scores among medical and nursing students can

be predicted on the b a s ~ sof background and socio-demographic variables

Education aimed at increasing sex knowledge and modify~ngnegative

attitudes may increase students' ability to function more effectively as

sexual history takers and sex counsellors

Another study done by Agarwal H K., Rao R.S.. Chandrashekar S ,

and ~ . ~ . ~ o u l t eamong
r" senior secondary school students proves that

they were o f the view that the sex education is necessary The private and

English speaking schools were better informed about HIVIAIDS Their

main sources of information were found to be mass media. teachers, and

health workers The students gained more knowledge after a talk and hand

out programmes. However, due to the lack of inter pcrsonaiapproaches in

the education system, knowledge of our students is inadequate, and

misconceptions exist in India.

A study by Aggarwal O., Sharma A.K.. and p.chhabran about the

sexuality o f medical college students in India concluded that t h e ~ rstudy

knowbdw md ~ x u a artltudcs
l
.
"MMslvey R.S.. Webb 1.A Baldauar L.V.. Robinsoe S.M. and &Rile) 'Sex
unong mcdiul and nunis: student#" Mcdtbnc, Aurt.N-2.1-
P~ychiapI999 Apf. 33(2). 260-6
Aprw.1 H.K.. RM R.S.. Chandruhekar S. and ).B.CculIer "Knowledge ofand
alliludoa U) HlVlAtDS of ~ n i wsecondary ~ h o opupils
l and lninec leachen" Medline. Ann-
Tmp-Padfur. 1999 Jun. 142): 143.9.
=AU.WJ 0..Skunu A.K. .nd P.Chh.bra 'Sludy in rerunlily of medical collcpc
Uud8al1" Mdllnm, I-Addnc-HmlL. 2000 Mu. 2Y 3): 226-9.
48
provided evidence for the need to improve knowledge about the different

aspects of sex among Indian medical students. These students favored the

introduction of sex education at the school level. In India talking about

sex is taboo hence I~ttlcIS known about the knowledge, attitudes and

sexual behav~ourof our adolescents.

In his study,Qidwai wW has found a high prevalence of

misconceptions and guilt associated with both masturbation and nocturnal

emission among young Pakistanis It also proved the association of

demographic variables and documented the misconceptions regarding

these two among them, and made a case for the sex education of youth.

The respondents reported the association o f physical illness and weakness

with masturbation.

According to Zhang K., Li D., Li H. and E.J.B~;~", premarital sex

has become widely accepted among young people, and that the Chinese

are now more tolerant toward extra marital sex. Young people In general,

believe (hat love should be the basis for marriage and that the quality of

an individunl's life is correlated to marriage. Sex life is currently more

valued than it used to be. Attitudes towards masturbation have become

more tolerant though homosexuality continues to be hidden from society

as it hra been since a iong time. Attitudes towards sex and sexual

behaviour have become recognized as the responsibility of individuals as

long u no offence occurs against society. Ana heterosexual transmission

is becoming the most important route o f HIV transmission in Chtna.

Wright W. and ~ . ~ r a i m i nhave,

" in their study stressed the need

for providing clinical opportunities for the youth affected by HIV.

Individual counseling, invaluable as tt is for HIV affected youths. is just

one forum in which young people can receive clinical assistance. When a

young person is coping wlth the illness or death of a parent from AIDS, in

addition to all the pressures and changes in life, the experience of

growing up is even more difficult and compltcated. The emottonal flux,

conrus~on,and ltfe transit~onscan lead to impulsive and self-destructive

behaviour. Programmes for HIV affected youth need to balance the

attcntton paid to the challenges they face with the strengths they possess.

Forsyth B . W ~asserts that thk global epidemic o f AIDS is

characterized by a widentng gap between the wealthier nations in North

America and Europe and the poorer nations in the world. In the developed

counlrics the epidemic has stabilized, and there are dramatic decreases in

morbidity. and mortality resulting from the use of intensive but expensive

therapies. w h e r u s in the poorer nations. the epidemic spread is often

unabated, and has devastating effects on communities, families, and

individuals, This requires the focus and support o f governments,

HZh.nl K, Li D.. Li H. and E.J.Bcck 'Changin8 u x u l atlitudw and bahsviour in

China: Impli~tionrfw Ulc apmd or HIV and other rsxually tranrmincd direuer" Modline,
AIDS-&. 1999 01%I 1 0 ) : Sll-9.
' ~ r i f i t W. and 8.Dnimin 'Providing clinical DpPwtuailiw for youthr alltdad by
HlV* Mwdlinc. Child.Adolelc-Psphialr-ClinNAm. 2000 Lip. 41). 347-17.
international agencies, NGOs, corporations, researchers from many

discipliner. and other individuals.

According to Mutchler M . G ~ ,there is much concern about the

second wave of HIV infections among gay male youth, and that

qualitative research showing how to produce effective HIV prevention

programmes for this population are scarce. T r a d ~ t ~ o n amodels

l of

education are not sufficient The study seeks to show how safer sex norms

for gay youth can be advised and shows how community empowerment

with regard to HIV prevention resulted in s~gnificantlyreduce rates of

unprotected sex among young gay males.

Another study conducted by Futterman D., Chabon B. and

offman^ man^ examines the HIV and AlDS m adolescents in New York

City. The study explains that HIV infection in adolescents continues to

challenge health care providers, policy makers, anbadvocates for youth

Effective interventions are those that move beyond moralism to realism.

and a willingness to engage youth and their famiiies. HIV infected youth

need intensive individual and group intervention to keep them healthy,

and reduce transmission to others, Incumbent on all providers is to make

adolescents the service provided visible, flexible, affordable, confidential.

culturally appropriate, and available to all the youth.

9onyth B.W. TIC AIDS cpidcmic: PLYI and rutuw"Mcdlinc. Chlld-Adoicsc.

Plychia1t.Clin-N-Am. 2000 Apr. W2): 267-78
*Wulchtw M.O. 'Makinl apace for rarer sex- Medtine. AIDS-Edw.Pwu. 2000 Feb
l2(11: 1-14,
"Fuwmm D.. C h a h 8. md N.D.HoKm.n "HtV and AIDS in adoleaccnl' Mcdlinc.
PdiWClin-Nwth-Am. ZOOO Feb. 47( 1): 171-88.
 Another study conducted by Deniaud F. and J C.Fampou ToundjtY

experimented with the preventton of AIDS and STDs among young

people in Abidjan by means of peer education. It reveals that the young

people involved have taken on a new social identity which has developed

from the motivation o f they have provided to others, and the personal

experiences of some o f them with respect to AIDS. STDs, and the

problems associated with contraception However, the new ident~tyis

threatened by the rivalry between the members o f the association and'the

search for funding, as substantial fundtng was obtatned in 1994-95 In

Ivory Coast.

Roger C Katz. Kns Mills. Nirbhayn Singh, and ~ l o n "compared

the knowledge and attitudes of the students in a publ~c school. The

positive aspect was that the vast majority o f the respondents were found

that sexually active people should w m condoms and be careful in their

choice o f sexual partners where diffcnnces in knowledge and attttudes

existed; the absolute magn~tudewas onen small, and greatly influenced

by demographic variables. Generally young males from good

backgrounds tended to know less about AIDS and to espouse attitude that

could increase their vulnerability to the disease The adolescents who are

relatively knowledgeable about AIDS tend to be o f the same age as those

who arc a moat risk from the disease. and feel the least empowered to

% n i d F. and J.C.Funpou Toundji *AIDS prrvrnlion by a youlh ulairtim, in

~ Y ImpwL ruoKucr and disappainunenlt" Mrdtinc, Smlc. 1999 Jut..Au&. 9(0:
I V OCoW:
2J9-65.

52
protect them. From the prevention point there is clearly a need to target

both the youth and teenagers with psychiatric problems for an AIDS

prevention programme to be successful.

Margaret E.Kaplan and Yvonne Van Den worng have disclosed

that while women have more posittve attitudes towards people who have

AIDS, men have more negative attitudes. The study suggested that

knowledge about AIDS reduces fear of AIDS and foster a more positive

attitude towards people who have AlDS Thus peoples ;ear o f AIDS and

(heir knowledge about it may shape their attitude towards those who have

AlDS The study conlirms that there is a relation between the fear and the

attitudes towards AIDS. The study also demonstrates that there is no

significant difference between adolescent males and females towards

people who have AIDS. Adolescent males are more knowledgeable than

adolescent females are .about AIDS. The students having considerable

knowledse about AlDS casts doubt on the cultural findlng that children in

South Africa have little knowledge about AIDS.

Mustafa ~ . ~ b o l f a t o utrted
i h ~ to assess the lcvel o f knowledge,

attitudes and beliefs about AlDS among secondary school students in

Saudi Arabia. The aim was to compare such levels with those i n the

- --
P ~ . Kns MtIIs. Nlrbhayan
C. ~
AIDS" Journal of Youth Adolerant IWJ
Stnyh and Alon
141)
'Knowledye and Altnudcr about
%uFt E Ksp1.n a d Yvonne Van Don Worn "The mluimrhlp k t w c t n w l h
Afrtun Adoleranla knowledgeaad fur of AlDS and lhc~raltiludea towudr people who
have AIDS" Jwrnat of Weld Psychology I991 A u ~133(4) 511-IgJ
%VUB~ A . A ~ O I ~ ~ ~he U I tmpct
~ or AIDS on LIIOWI~~~C, an~ludts
md het~cfsof
mmel SON a p .dolescwd In the Anla mslon of South Weatan Saudi Anbia" Journal of
Coamunlly Hullh 1995 fun 2001
53
western countries with regard to the nature o f the disease. About 89 per

cent and 37 per cent o f the experimental and control groups respect~vely

were aware that AlDS is a medical condition in which the body cannot

fight o f f disease Moreover, about two-th~rdso f the students were aware

that no one is immune to AIDS (65 per cent Experimental and 62 per cent

Control) and that people w ~ t hAIDS usually have many other diseases as a

o f result AIDS (60 per cent Experimental and 62 per cent Convol). Most

of the students were aware that most people who get AIDS usually d ~ e

from the disease (91 per cent Experimental and 88 per cent Control).

Most adolescents indicated that sexual intercourse was one mode of

contraction AIDS (91 per cent Experimental and 89 per cent Control).

Less than half o f the students were aware that gay men arc more likely to

have AIDS (42 per cent Experimental and 49 per cent Control).

Adoicscents were less informed that casual contact cannot spread AIDS.

According to A.K.Sharma, Virendra N.Sehgal, S.Kant, D.Choubcy

and ~ . ~ h a r d w a j *though
, s large majority (83.0 per cent) o f the students

had heard about AIDS, yet a majority o f them did not know the possible

method for prevention o f AIDS. Only 27.1 per cent o f the girls knew

about regular condom usage. Half of them had a permissive attitude

towards pre-marital sex: and sexual activity was observed i n one-fourth

'Sharma A.K.. Vircndra N.Schpt. Kant S.. Chouky D md A.Bhardwaj

'Knowledge, alll~udt,bsilef and p u t i c e aludy on AlDS vnior m n d a r y aludents"
lndin J w m l of Communia Medicine Vol XXII. No.4.W-Doc.. 1997.
of them. The atudents w e n less reluctant to discuss about AIDS than sex,

and teachers were preferred as compared to parents in this regard

According to D.Prybylski and W.A.AI~O", the human

immunodeficiency virus (H1V)lAIDS epidemic is currently spreading

faster in Cambodia than anywhere else in As!? Heterosexual transmission

of HIV through prostitution is believed to be catalyzing the epidem~cand

sex workers (SWs) are at a very high risk for becoming infected with

HIV, and subsequently developing AIDS. In order to gain a better

understanding of the knowledge. att~tudesand practices of this highly

vulnerable population, face-to-face interviews were conducted with SWs

(N-502) in the capital city. Phnon Penh. Thc SWs surveyed were
predominantly young, uneducated. poor women from rural areas, many of

whom remained isolated in brothels. Brothel-based SWs are at

the greatest risk for acquiring HIV. They reported twice as many sexual

contacts per day. and used condoms less frequently than community-

based SWs. The majority of SWs surveyed knew that condoms offered

protection against HIVIAIDS, although one-quarter of the SWs did not

always use condoms. Despite their high level o f baseline HIVIAIDS

knowledge. nearly all the SWs requested that additional health education

materials be made available to them, and their customers.

"D.Prybylskl and W.A.Alto "Knowt~e.Utituder md pnclicer wnccrning

HIVIAIDS a-8 ma wmtwr* AIDS CM.1999 1 l(4): 49411.
55
 The study conducted by James W.Marquart, Victorla E.Brewer,

Janet Mullinga, a d Ben ~ . ~ r o u c hexamined

" the relationship between

offenses, prior drug taking, and HIVIAIDS-related risk behaviour among

women prisoners. Women drug offenders in this study engaged in

numerous high-risk drug and sexual behaviours. Many had engaged In the

use o f inject drug and prostitution. Recent drug control policies, grounded

In deterrence, and based on harsh legal penalties, have led to the

~ncarcerationo f numerous offenders who are low crlm~nalrlsks but

represent major public health risks on release. Crlmtnal justice policies

penallzing drug users may be contributing factors to the spread o f HIV

tnrectlon in the wlder society.

A study was conducted by Lewis J.Richard and Boyle ~ . ~ a v l don*

the impact o f a comprehensive, 12step recovery programme including

HIV education, housing support in a day treatment program for homeless

persons infected with HIV. Participants' knowledge o f HIV and substance

abuse risk factors was assessed for a group o f new clients and h a group

of clients enrolled for 3 months using an author-developed questioawin.

Continuation o f high-risk sexual and substance use behaviours was

assessed wing the approach. Success in maintaining housing and i n the

12-step recovery was asscased using a retrospective chart review on a

a~ametW.Mlrqum. Vieloria E.Bmwer. Janet Mullinpr and Ben M Cmuch 'The

ImpIi~Iien~ orCrimc CMtlol Policy on HIVIAIDS-Rcalled Risk Amonp Women Primnets"
Crime and Dolinqwnsy l9W Jla. 4% II.
%WII J.RIeM aid Boylt P.D~rid'Rcducinp AIDS d Subnmoo Abur R ~ r k
Ylclats Ama' H d c n , HtV-tnfcc(ed.Drug-Usin8 Permu* R D K U ~an~ S0Cl.l Work
Pt.DILooJm. 2000.
56
separate group of past participants. Statistically significant positive

changes in the participants' knowledge o f HIV and substance use and a

decrease in self-reported high-risk behaviours were found. The

retrospective chart review also indicated positive changes In housing

stability and substance abuse recovery. Prelimrnary results supported the

conclusion that the day treatment programme had positive effects on the

three variables of concern.

Thomas T.Kane, Rose De Buysscher, Tunde Taylor-Thomas,

Tamara Smith, and Momodou jengU presented a report on a 1986-87 two-

stage probability sample survey of 2507 young men and women aged 14-

24, living In the Greater Banjul reglon of The Gamota. Although

premarital sexual actlvlty was common and began at an early age lack of

knowledge of and limited access to modern contraceptives were the

obstacles to practicing family planning. O f all the sexually active single

persons, only 21 percent o f the young women, and 7 percent ofrhe young

men had practiced contraception at the time o f the first intercourse

Almon half o f the sexually actlve young adults had always used

contraceptives with oral contraceptives, and condoms be~ngthe methods

most widely known and used. Results o f regression analyses show that

attendance at family life education lectures in school had significanl

positive relationships to both knowledge and the use o f contraceptives

3hom.r T.Kane. Rorr De Buyucher, Tundc Taylor-Thomas. Tmmua Sm~thand

Momodov J u y '8sxual Aolivlty, Family Llfe Educationand Conmssptivc Pnniec Among
Youon Adullr" Pudiw in Family Pilauin( I993 Jm..Fcb. 241): SO-61.
57
among the young people surveyed. The study presents encouraging

evidence that acceptance of modern contraceptive use is beginn~npto take

hold among young the people in urban Banjul.

Pomeroy Elizabeth C..Kiam Risa, and Abel ~ . ~ i l e e npresented

" a

study that exam~nedthe effectiveness of a psycho educational group

intervention for HIVIAIDS-infected and affected women at a county jall

fac~lityin the United States.

Evidence on behaviour change among homosexual men is mixed. I n

prospective studies of groups of men, r ~ s k ybchav~ourhas decreased. Fur

examp!e, in 1984, in a group of 41 l men in San Francisco. 40 percent o f

HIV-positive men were having anal intercourse with two or more partners

In six months. By 1987, that percentage had decreased to 5 percent

Among men who remained uninfecmd, receptive anal intercourse with

two or more partners in six months decreased from 15 percent i n 1984 to

3 percent in 1 9 8 7 . ~

Although young people suffer most from HIVIAIDS, the eptdem~c

among youth remains largely invisible," both to the young people

themselves, and to society as a whole Young people often carry HIV for

years without knowing that they arc infected. As a consequence, the

qomnoy Bliubnh C.. KIam Rira md Abel M.Eitecn "The ENectlvenesrofa

Plychwdvwlional Omup fw HIV-InfootedlANccadInurecrated Women" Rcreueh on
Social Work Pnctioo. M u 1999.
%inksl,uin. W., M 11. The Sm Francisco Men's Health Study oonttnvcd dccllne In
HIV ~ v m nushw w q homorexruli'birxu8lman. American Journal of Public
H~lU17Mll)N.av.t981 ~.147a.l474.
&d
.l. O..'rt 81.. Adoi-U and HIV di-: Definirqthe problem and i u
powukn. W u H o p m , D.C.. Acrckmy for Bduculoarl Development. Feb 1985. p.16
SI)
epidemic spreads beyond the high-risk groups to the broader population

of young pwplc, making it even harder to control.

Injection of drugs using needles contam~natedwith HIV plays a key

role in spreading AlDS among young people, especially young men. Drug

injection transmits HIV read~lybecause ~t introduces the virus directly

into the blood stream. In some countries - including Argentina, Bahrain,

Georgla. Iran. Italy. Kazakhstan. Portugal, and Spain - over half of all

AlDS cases lnvolve drug use. Also, in Canada. China. Latvia, Malaysia,

Moldova, Russia. Ukraine, and V~etnam, more than half of all new

infections in 1998-1999 were among Intravenous drug users.*

People receiving blood transfus~onscan hecome infected with HIV.

when the blood IS contaminated In fact, b~ologically,blood transfusion

with contaminated blood is the most efficient way of transmitting HIV

slnce large quantities of the virus are directly infused into a person's

body.*

Young people nrc much more vulnerable Lo HIVIAIDS than older

people are. Because their social, emot~onal, and psychological

development is incomplete, they tend to experiment wlth rlsky behaviour,

often with little awareness of the danger. In fact, risky sexual behaviour

.Jolnl UnlUd Nalionr Pmlrammc on HIVIAIDS (UNAIDS).R I p M on thc global

HIVIAIDS epld.mk. O o a c v ~UNAIDS, Jun.2000, p.l>S.
%oyoe. R.. a d..Sexual vrnunl.rion of HlV The New Ensland J m l of
Modloim 336(!5). Apr.10. 1997. pp.lOl1-1071
59
often is p a n o f a larger pattern o f adolescent behaviour, including alcohol

and drug use, delinquency, and challenging authority.*

Nevertheless, most young people have o n l y l i m i t e d knowledge

about H I V I A I D S largely because societies make i t d i f f i c u l t for them to

obtain information. Frequently. social p o l l c ~ e sreflect intolerance and

discrimination agatnst youth, as when they l i m i t access to health

information and care."

Even when they k n o w the rlsk, some young people may ignore ~ t .

Young w o m e n may engage intent~onally in r i s k y sexual behaviour

especially i n cultures where marriage is h i g h l y valued and a woman's

status depends o n f i n d i n g a husband. and havtng ~ h i l d r e n . ~ '

Some y o u n g people continue unsafe sexual behsvlour even afler

being diagnosed w i t h HIV." I n the US, researchers found that adolescents

w h o were infected w i t h H I V were twice as l i k e l y as infected adults t o

engage in such high-risk behavtour as h a v ~ n gu n i a f e sex, and sharing

needles f o r intravenous d r u g use."

%naminper. M Adolesccnl rexual behar~ouras 11 relater to olher tnnsll8on

behsviour in youth. HoITerlh. S and Haycr. C Rtaktng The Future Vol 2 Washington D.C.
Nal~onalR n n t s h Council. 1911, pp.36.55
n . and Futlcrmnn. D Yovlh and HIVIAIDS Mann. J and Tarantola, D .
u ~ o ~ m a N,
edr. AIDS in t k Worid Ii: Global Dimensions. Socjal Rools. i n d Responses New York.
Oxfwd Untvenily Press. 1996, pp.137-251.
%ampbell. C. Sellin1 sex in the lime of AIDS, The psycho-socialconlcxl of wndom
use by sex v o r t m on a Southa A f r i u mane. Social Science and Mdacinc 500). Fob.2000.
pp.419-494.
%urphy. D., cl at.. Number of prepanclca, oulcome expeclmcies. and social orms
amm( HIV-infoclod youns women. Hcallh Psychology 170). Sep 1998. pp 470-415
*Diamond, C. and Buskin. S. Conlinued rtsky bchauiour in HIV-infected youth
Amsriun J w m l orpublic Hmlth W(1). Jm 2000. pp.115-II 8
60
 Some adults still think that aex education encourages sexual

experimentation. Consequently, programs and campaigns often are

limited i n what they can discuss. For example, educators at the University

of Cairo in Egypt had to after their programme "so as not to be accused of

immoral propaganda.'5

While the importance of educat~onabout HIVIAIDS is widely

recognlted, 44 o f 107 countries studied recently d ~ dnot include AlDS

education in the school c u r r i c u ~ a . ~

Young women are far less knowledgeable about H I V than are

young men. For instance, In five countries surveyed, the percentage of

young women who know of a way to protect themselves against H I V is

only half that o f young men

Misinformation about HIV transmission contributes to the negative

attitudes about people living with HIVIAIDS. I n Russia 40 per cent of

male high school students and 30 p i r cent o f thetr female counterparts

said they "would not like to be in the same class as a person with

AIDS"."

%1.0awhuY. K. Brcrktnp a rocid I I ~ W AlDS holline in Cairo. M~ddleh r l Repon

2111),S tin[ 1991, pp.1-5.
kopulation Rrlercnc. Buremu (PUB). The world's ywlh 2 O M . Washinlton D.C..
Sep.2000 p 24
'~nlUd Natioru Childrca't Fund (UNICEF).The pfcgressofnaltonr 2000. New
York. UNICBF. Jul.2000, p.38.
t u n l a . I..n 11. Adoleroenl ~exu~lity
in Saint P-rrburg, Russia. AlDS NSuppl I).
Ju1.1995, pp.ll3.SW.
61
 M a n y young people who have tested positive for H I V have learned

o f their status not from health care providers but from their parents, who

have been informed without the young person's consent."

Prejudices based on sexual orientation and discrimlnatlon due to

H I V status further fuel the A l D S epidemic.u M a n y societies contribute to

the spread of HlVlAlDS by stigmatizing, and often outlawing,

homosexual behaviour.

The impact o f the A I D S epidemic could have been reduced

substantially had political leaders taken 11 ser~ouslyand responded to at

once A s the U n ~ t e dNations General Assembly Special Session on

H I V I A I D S noted I n 2001. "strong leadersh~pat a l l levels 6 f society is

essential f o r an effective response to the eP~demic"."

Moreover, funding f o r A I D S IS not going where i t is needed most.

While 95 per cent o f the people with H I V lnfectlon I ~ v e

i n the developing

countries, 95 per cent of a l l AIDS-prevention money is spent i n the

industrialized c o u n t r i e ~ . ~

import an^ components o f A I D S education programmes f o r youth

include addressing peer pressure, and norms that encourage risky

% w i r a r Projco HIV voluntary counwltng and terlinp amonp youlh ages I4 lo 21.
Result, f r m M explonmy uudy in Nnimbi, Kmyn, md Klmpln and Munk8. Ugnndn.
Wuhln ton D.C.. Populuion Council. 2001, p.33.
.
%oxon. A. M*I komonxunlityand HI". M8nn. J. and Tnrantoln. D cdr. AlDS bn
the World It: 0lob.l Dirnenrionr. Sosill Rwts, End Rtrpanacs New York. Oxford Univcrr!tr
Pretr. 1996, pp.252-258.
U~olnt Uniud N U l w Pmpmme on HlVlAlDS (UNAIDSI. The global rmagy
f m e w a k on HIVIAIDS. Oonera. UNAIDS. Jun.ZWI, p.22
%ew York Tlnur. The @lob81pln#ucof AIDS. The New York T#me.Apr.23.2000
62
b e h a v i o ~ r .Changing
~ young people's risk-taking behaviour requlres

going beyond providing information to helping young people acquire the

ability to refuse sex. and to negotiate w i t h sex partners.

A US study found that the number o f adolescents who were tested

for HIVIAIDS rose b y I 5 0 per cent when parental consent was no longer

r~~ulred.~

Parents. o f course, greatly influence their children's health

behaviour. I n a US study that asked students who most Influenced their

decisions about sex, 37 per cent clted their parents. while 30 per cent

c ~ l e dt h e ~ rfriends I n additlon to parents, other adult famlly members.

and others i n the community Influence adolescent health behaviour

A study i n Kenya reveals that over thrce-quaiters o f parents o f

children i n the age group 10 to 14 said that adolescents should be taught

i n school about HIVIAIDS and other STls, as w e l l as about family

planning and other reproductive health subjects.*

F o r young men, being able t o talk about problems. including

concerns about sexuality, and to obtaln support, are 1mponant.steps t o

*~ollins.C. Denpcnwr inhibittons How AmcrlU IS lclling AlDS become an

epidemic or the young, San Francisco. Ccnlrr for AIDS Prevcnlton Sludics, Hatrard AlDS
Inrlilulc. Fcb 1997. p 44
. "Danzipcr. R. HIV ralinp and HIV preventton In Swcdcn Brilbrh Medics1 Journal
316. Jan.24. 1991. on.293.295.
%mlianai&mo.i&n to Prevent Ten Prennancv Not lurl another thinn lo do. Teens
1111; .boa ~ mgre~ .
i .aid ;kc innvanseof t r l r p&nu. Warhln[lon. D C ~aconal
Clmplyr to Pmvrnt Teen Pn[arnc). Jun 30.2000. p 7
%ekovole. 1.. el 11.. Repmdwllve health comrnuniution in Kenya: Resulls o f a
nnioaai i a h ~ l i o o ,oommuaicalia. and eduwion situation survey. Baltimore, lohnr
Hopklaa Univmity Center lot CeinmunicMionPmgnms, lun. 1997. p.72.

63
avoid risk. Yet. many boys grow up without the opportunity to

communicate. I n Kenya for example, less than half o f the fathers

reported in a nationwide survey their having discussed sex, HIVIAIDS, or

male-female relationsh~pswith their teenage sons in the preceding year "

Adolescent sex workers and street youth are the most vis~ble

disadvantaged youth. For example, in Vijayawada, a city i n Andhra

Pradesh, India, nearly half o f the 25,000 street children had an STI, and

30 per cent were infected w ~ t hH I V . ~

Another study reveals that the majority of recent unprotected

sexual activity among adolescent girls in most developing countries

occurs within marriage Girls marr~ed before age 18 have low

educational attainment, earning power,' and social mobility. I n some

settings, married girls have been shown to have higher rates o f H I V

~nfectionthan their sexually active unmarried peers.6q

*~s#har. R, Number of HIV posltlve rlrccl chlldren reachcr alarming proportions

AlDS India Planning Cornmillee Ponlcd lo lhc AlDS India Planntng Commltuc, May 10,
2000

"Brucr J Clark S Thc lmpltcat~ansor tsrl) Marriage for HIVIAIDS Polic) Neu
York; Populaiim council. 20M

"Fin'er W.7h.p S, Jejcrbhoy S, ct at. Nonconsenuual Sex M o n g Youth Youth

Lens l0.Arlingon. VA. Family Health Internalionrl. 2004

aman an
S, el at HlV and Partner Vnoicnoe; l m p l i u l ~ a n sfor HIV Voluntary
Counwlln) m d Tealin) Pmgramt i n D a cr Salaam. Tanunih Hor~rans Final Report.
Washington DC;Population council. 2001

n ~ l l i a m w n NE. T h a p S. M l r h n V Orphans; the ,sand wave o f the AlDS

epidemic. R o u n l u l a n U Poput81lM A ~ o c t a l i o no f A m s r i u Moating. Philadelpta. P4.
March 31 A p l l 2 . 1 0 0 ~ .
64
 Another study reveals that during adolescence boys begins to
establish patterns o f sexual behavlour, usually based on expected gender
roles. I n some cases, sexual experience is viewed as a rite of passage for
boys.70

A Zambian study shows that the attitudes have direct implications

for r ~ r k sof pregnancy, and HIV infectlon."

Adolescents who are orphaned and made vulnerable by HIVIAIDS

are a large and growing population with unmet needs. More than half o f
all orphans are adolescents who are aged 12 to 17 Demographic and
Health Surveys show that the prevalence of orphan hood Increases with
the age o f youth.72

DISCUSSIONS
Dr.D Bandoyopadhyay has conducted a study In Calcutta among In
service nurses to know their knowledge and attitude In relation to
HIVIAIDS. Dr.Agarwal and H.K,Rao have conducted a study to find out
whether there is a need for sex education in India. A.K.Sharma and
N.Segal have done a study on prevention o f AIDS among students in
India and Asghar R has conducted a study on street children in
Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh state The review o f literature shows that
many studies have been conducted across the world but very few studies
have been conducted i n India on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour in
relation to HIV/AIDS. and sexuality among youth. Hence, an attempt has
been made in this study to know the knowledge. attitudes and behaviour
in relation to HIV/AlDS. and sexuality among youth. Further. the
literature shows that no such study was conducted in this am. That is the
main reuon for taking up this work