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• HIVAIDS-related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior
13.1 HIVAIDS K
NOWLEDGE
, T
RANSMISSION
,
AND
P
REVENTION
M
ETHODS
Knowledge of HIV is low in Afghanistan with 24 of women and 58 of men age 15-49 having ever heard of AIDS
Table 13.1. Women and men in the lowest wealth quintile are the least likely to have heard about AIDS Figure 13.1.
The source of HIV knowledge varies in Afghanistan, with the
highest percentage of women hearing about HIV from television
15 and the lowest percentage informed through posters and
billboards 1. Nine percent of women have heard about HIV from
their friends and relatives, while only 3 have heard about HIV
from health professionals Table 13.2.1. The types of information
sources for men are similar to those
for women Table 13.2.2.
Twelve percent of ever- married women and 38 of ever-married men know that using condoms is a way to prevent HIV transmission
Table 13.3. Fourteen percent of ever-married women and 47 of ever-married men recognize that they can reduce the risk of getting HIV by limiting sexual intercourse to one uninfected partner Table 13.3.
Only 9 of women and 33 of men know both prevention methods Table 13.3. Patterns by background characteristics
Knowledge of prevention of
HIV by using condoms and limiting sexual intercourse to
one uninfected partner varies considerably between women
and men by residence. Urban women 15 and men 41
are more aware than rural women 7 and rural men
31 Figure 13.2.
The level of knowledge about
the prevention of HIV among women and men varies, with
the highest percentage of women with knowledge in
Logar 38 and the lowest in
Nooristan 1 Table 13.3 and Figure 13.3. Among men, the highest percentage with knowledge
is in Kapisa 67 and lowest in Baghlan 2.
Knowledge of HIV increases with education. Only 6 of women and 23 of men with no education know the two major prevention methods compared with 40 of women and 65 of men with more
than secondary education Table 13.3.
Figure 13.1 Knowledge of AIDS by wealth status
Figure 13.2 Comprehensive knowledge of HIV
12 17
18 28
44 43
50 54
67 77
Lowest Second
Middle Fourth
Highest
Percentage of ever-married women and ever-married men age 15-49 who have heard of AIDS
Women Men
Wealthiest Poorest
15 41
2 8
7 31
1 4
9 33
1 5
Women Men
Women Men
Urban Rural
Total Percentage of ever-married women and ever-married men age 15-49
Know that HIV can be prevented by using condoms
and limiting sex to one uninfected partner
Has comprehensive knowledge of HIV
HIVAIDS-related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior •
217
Figure 13.3 Knowledge of HIV prevention methods
Percent of ever-married women who know that HIV can be prevented by using condoms and limiting sex to one uninfected partner
To assess HIVAIDS knowledge, the 2015 AfDHS obtained information on several common misconceptions about HIV transmission. Overall, the knowledge of HIV seems rather poor in Afghanistan.
Only 10 of women and 30 of men age 15-49 believe that a healthy looking person can have HIV. Similarly, only 8 of women and 23 of men age 15-49 know that HIV cannot be transmitted by
mosquito bites, while only 9 of women and 23 of men know that a person cannot be infected by
sharing food with a person who has AIDS Tables 13.4.1 and 13.4.2.
Comprehensive knowledge of HIV Knowing that consistent use of condoms during sexual intercourse and having
just one uninfected faithful partner can reduce the chances of getting HIV, knowing that a healthy-looking person can have HIV, and rejecting the two
most common local misconceptions about transmission or prevention of HIV. Sample: Women and men age 15-49
Comprehensive knowledge of HIV is a composite measure that indicates that a person knows that condom use and limiting sexual intercourse to one uninfected partner can prevent HIV and that a healthy-looking
person can have HIV, and rejects the two most common local misconceptions about the transmission of HIV. In Afghanistan, these misconceptions include HIV being transmitted through mosquitoes and a
person becoming infected with HIV by sharing food with a person who has AIDS. In Afghanistan, 1 of women and 5 of men have comprehensive knowledge of HIVAIDS prevention and transmission
Tables 13.4.1 and 13.4.2.
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