Knowledge on human immuno deficiency virus mechanisms of transmission among schoolchildren in the age range of 11 to 20 years old from poor districts of Bucaramanga, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction.Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was the second most common cause of death, after injuries of external causes, among young adults from Bucaramanga in 2013. Objective. To establish the extent of knowledge on HIV mechanisms of transmission prevention strategies among schoolchildren in the age range of 13 to 20 years old from poor districts of Bucaramanga. Methodology. Cross-sectional study among randomly selected schoolchildren using a selfadministered anonymous survey. For analysis, each outcome measure and binomial models for the association of answers by age, gender, education level and past sexual experience were described. Results. A survey was administered to 729 students (57% were girls); 50.6% of boys and 31.1% of girls reported having had sexual intercourse. Also, 58.6% stated that a healthylooking person can have HIV. Besides, 69.1% indicated that HIV can be transmitted during pregnancy; 39.2%, during delivery; 37.7%, through breastfeeding; 79.7%, through needle sharing; 29.5%, by sharing food with someone who has HIV; and 31.7%, by mosquito bites. In addition, 70.6% considered that they could prevent HIV by abstaining from having sexual relationships; 67.5%, by having a single partner; and 80.0%, by wearing condoms correctly. The proportion of adequate answers was not related to a higher education level, age, gender or sexual experience.Conclusions. The quality of knowledge regarding HIV mechanisms of transmission and prevention is very poor, in spite of curricular contents providing sex education. It was observed that knowledge was not greater among those with higher education levels.

Sexual risk among Colombian adolescents: knowledge, attitudes, normative beliefs, perceived control, intention, and sexual behavior

“…In the present study, the level of knowledge of HIV and other STIs was medium to low; important gaps were observed regarding forms of transmission and general prevention. Other studies, focused on Colombian adolescents [17, 29] and Spaniard adolescents [26, 34], have reported similar results. This situation highlights the need to modify erroneous sexual beliefs and to provide reliable information to adolescents.…”

“…The prevalence of unprotected sex was revealed to be as high as 70% in a study with Colombian young people between 15 and 24 over the 12-month period before the study [16]. Becoming sexually active before 15, having low condom use intentions, and inadequate knowledge about STIs and protection methods are risk factors for lack of condom use identified for Colombian adolescent populations [6, 16, 17]. In a cohort study focused on students between 13 and 21 [6], investigators found that 60% of the students had become sexually active before 15 years of age, 58% failed to use condoms, and 39% had insufficient knowledge on sexual health.…”