Knowledge of AIDS and HIV transmission among drug users in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

BackgroundProper knowledge of HIV transmission is not enough for people to adopt protective behaviors, but deficits in this information may increase HIV/AIDS vulnerability.ObjectiveTo assess drug users' knowledge of HIV/AIDS and the possible association between knowledge and HIV testing.MethodsA Cross-sectional study conducted in 2006/7 with a convenience sample of 295 illicit drug users in Rio de Janeiro, assessing knowledge on AIDS/HIV transmission and its relationship with HIV testing. Information from 108 randomly selected drug users who received an educational intervention using cards illustrating situations potentially associated with HIV transmission were assessed using Multidimensional Scaling (MDS).ResultsAlmost 40% of drug users reported having never used condoms and more than 60% reported not using condoms under the influence of substances. Most drug users (80.6%) correctly answered that condoms make sex safer, but incorrect beliefs are still common (e.g. nearly 44% believed HIV can be transmitted through saliva and 55% reported that HIV infection can be transmitted by sharing toothbrushes), with significant differences between drug users who had and who had not been tested for HIV. MDS showed queries on vaginal/anal sex and sharing syringes/needles were classified in the same set as effective modes of HIV transmission. The event that was further away from this core of properly perceived risks referred to blood donation, perceived as risky. Other items were found to be dispersed, suggesting inchoate beliefs on transmission modes.ConclusionsDrug users have an increased HIV infection vulnerability compared to the general population, this specific population expressed relevant doubts about HIV transmission, as well as high levels of risky behavior. Moreover, the findings suggest that possessing inaccurate HIV/AIDS knowledge may be a barrier to timely HIV testing. Interventions should be tailored to such specific characteristics.

Association of socio-demographic issues with level of knowledge of HIV/AIDS among injecting drug users in Dhaka City in Bangladesh

“…This finding is fairly similar to the findings of studies in Rio de South East Asia Journal of Public Health 2017;7(1):42-47 Table 3: Association between respondents' level of knowledge and socio-demographic variables (n=200) was found to be higher in a study among drug-users in Brazil. 23 One possible reason for the difference between the findings of the two studies could be that the Brazilian study was conducted among all types of drugusers whereas our study included only IDUs. Another possible explanation is the lower educational level of our interviewees.…”

“…22 It may be due to the fact that the education system in those countries has been affected by two Janeiro, Brazil, and Kabul, Afghanistan. 23,24 It appears that a major gap in knowledge exists among drug-users about the means of transmitting/ acquiring HIV. Correct response about treatment of HIV/AIDS (68%) was considerably higher among our study participants compared to the findings of the study in Vietnam on most-at-risk populations.…”

Psychosocial and psychopathological predictors of HIV-risk injecting behavior among drug users in Portugal

“…Furthermore, they showed accurate knowledge about HIV transmission and prevention, but for a significant part of the sample sharing injecting materials still happens. These results did not corroborate the notion that the lack of accurate information about HIV transmission and prevention increases the vulnerability to the infection (Goncalez et al, 2010) or less HIV serostatus testing (Bertoni et al, 2011). In fact, almost all the participants in the current study were tested for HIV, and 85% of them know that "they can be infected with HIV by sharing syringes with someone with HIV", but about a third shared syringes or other materials, and half of them shares materials in general.…”

Educational Intervention to Improve Adherence to Anti Retro-viral Therapy (ART) among People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (PLHIV) - A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Their study concluded that, high risk of HIV transmission existed among drug users compared to general population. Study also proposed that incorrect knowledge about HIV/ AIDS may be a barrier for HIV testing in-time and interventions should be planned to such category of people [16,17].…”