O Afghanistan - Demographic and Health Survey 2015

HIVAIDS-related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior • 215 HIVAIDS-RELATED KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND BEHAVIOR 13 Key Findings  Knowledge of HIV: Twenty-four percent of ever-married women and 58 of ever-married men age 15-49 have heard about HIVAIDS.  Knowledge of prevention: Only 9 of ever-married women and 33 of ever-married men know that using condoms and limiting sexual intercourse to one uninfected partner can prevent the transmission of HIV.  Knowledge of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV: Fifteen percent of ever-married women and 38 of ever-married men age 15-49 know that HIV can be transmitted by breastfeeding. Similarly, 8 of these women and 20 of the men know that the risk of mother-to-child transmission can be reduced by a mother taking special medicine during pregnancy.  HIV tests: About 9 of ever-married women and 30 of ever-married men age 15-49 know where to obtain an HIV test. Less than 1 of these women and 4 of the men have ever been tested for HIV and received the results of their last test. fghanistan is a low epidemic country for HIV infection. As of 2015, an estimated 6,700 adults and children in the country were living with HIV UNAIDS 2015. The principal mode of HIV transmission in Afghanistan is intravenous drug use, which accounts for 44 of all HIV infections in the country. The second most important mode of HIV transmission is vertical transmission, in which the mother passes HIV to her child during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. The prevention of mother-to-child transmission PMTCT program in Afghanistan is a priority in the fight against HIVAIDS in children. The program seeks to prevent pediatric HIV infection through primary prevention of HIV infection in the childbearing population, prevention of unintended pregnancies, and provision of care and follow-up psychosocial support. This chapter describes the prevalence of relevant knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors at the national level and within sub-national, urban, and rural geographic subpopulations. In this way, the AIDS control program in Afghanistan can target those groups of individuals who are most at risk of HIV infection and in need of information. A 216 • HIVAIDS-related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior