Knowledge Of HIV/AIDS Among Patients Attending General Out Patient Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital of Kolkata
Keywords:
HIV/AIDS, General Population, Tertiary Care HospitalAbstract
Introduction: The total number of people living with HIV/AIDS in India is estimated at 21 lakh in 2011. Now India is on track to achieve the global targets of ‘Zero New Infections, Zero AIDS-related deaths& Zero discrimination.’ The modes of transmission HIV is known and is largely preventable, but due to lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS in general population makes it’s rapid spread in India. So understanding about the knowledge about HIV/AIDS in general populations will help in formulating strategy for prevention and treatment.
Objective: to assess the knowledge about HIV/AIDS among the people attending general OPD in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Kolkata.
Methods: An Institution based cross sectional study was conducted among 576 patients attending the General OPDin a tertiary care hospital of Kolkata from February 2013- April 2013 using a predesigned pretested schedule.
Results: 100 percent of the study population had heard about HIV/AIDS; more than 90 percent reported that unsafe sex, infected needle sharing, and contaminated blood transfusion were possible ways of transmission. Misconceptions regarding the transmission of were found among more than 25 percent the respondents. More than 70 percent of the participants were aware of various possible correct preventive measures. Electronic media was the main source of information. More than 40 percent respondents knew the major high risk groups.
Conclusion: These study results can be useful in directing future efforts at creating awareness about HIV/AIDS.
References
UNAIDS,Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic 2013.UNAIDS;2013.p6.
World Health Organization/UNAIDS/UNICEF,Global update on HIV treatment 2013. WHO;2013.p9.
The Henry Kaiser Family Foundation, Global Health Policy. The global HIV/AIDS Epidemic. 2013.p1.
UNAIDS,Global Report. UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic 2013.UNAIDS;2013.p3.
UNAIDS, Core Slides: Global Summary of the AIDS Epidemic 2013.UNAIDS;2013.p2.
Press Information Bureau,Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.HIV Estimations 2012 Report. Press Information Bureau;2012.p1-2.
Meena LP, Pandey SK, Rai M, Bharti A, Sunder S. Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP)study on HIV / AIDS among HIV patients, care givers and general population in north-easternpart of India. Int J Med Sci Public Health 2013;2(1):36-2. doi:10.5455/ijmsph.2013.2.36-42.
Aggarwal A, Panat SR. Knowledge, attitude, and behavior in managing patients with HIV/AIDS among a group of Indian dental students. J Dent Educ. 2013;77(9):1209-17.
Kermode M, Holmes W, Langkham B,Thomas MS, Gifford S. HIV-related knowledge, attitudes & risk perception amongst nurses,doctors & other healthcare workers in rural India. Indian J Med Res 2005;122:258-4.
HasanATMH, HassanR, Khan ZR, Elham Nuzhat E, Arefin U. Influence of socio-demographic factors on awareness of HIV/AIDS among Bangladeshi garment workers. SpringerPlus 2013, 2:174-9.
Mahajan and Gupta. Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine,4th ed. New Delhi:Jaypee BrotherMedical Publisher;2012.p134.
Unnikrishnan B, Mithra PP, Rekha T, Reshmi B. Awareness and Attitude of the GeneralPublic Toward HIV/AIDS in Coastal Karnataka. Indian J Community Med. 2010; 35(1): 142–6.doi: 10.4103/0970-0218.62580.
Gupta SK, Purty AJ, Singh Z, Bazroy J, Cherian J. Knowledge Attitude andPractice Study of Human Immuno Deficiency Virus and AquiredImmuno DeficiencySyndrome (HIV/AIDS) Among Rural Population ofTamil Nadu (India). Indian Journal of Community Health 2012:24(4):264-8.
Negi KS, Khandpal SD, Kumar A, Kukreti M. Knowledge, Attitude and Perception aboutHIV/AIDS among Pregnant Women in Rural Area of Dehradun. JK Science 2006;8(3):133-8.
Yadav SB, Makwana NR, Vadera BN, Dhaduk KM, Gandha KM.Awareness of HIV/AIDSamong rural youth in India: A community based cross-sectional study. Infect Dev Ctries 2011;5(10):711-6.
16.Kalasagar M, Sivapathasundharam B, Einstein T B. AIDS awareness in an Indian metropolitan slum dweller : A KAP (knowledge, attitude, practice) study. Indian J Dent Res2006;17(2):66-9.
Negash Y, Gebre B, Benti D, Bejiga M. A community based study on knowledge, attitudeand practice (KAP) on HIV / AIDS in Gambella town, western Ethiopia. Ethiop J Health Dev 2003;17(3):205-13.
lliyasu Z, Abubakar IS, Kabir M, MBBS, Muktar H. Aliyu. Knowledge of HIV/AIDS andAttitude towards Voluntary Counseling and Testing among Adults. J Natl Med Assoc 2006;98(12):1917-22.
Chauhan H, Lal P, Kumar V, Malhotra R, Ingle GK. Awareness status about HIV/AIDSamong Indian railway's employees and their family members. J Commun Dis 2008;40(4):295-9.
Modi B, Padodara J, Mangukiya S, Tailor V.A Profileof Knowledge andSexual Behaviours Among Textile Workers in Context of HIV and AIDSin Surat City. National Journal of Community Medicine 2010;2(1):97-9
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The authors retain the copyright of their article, with first publication rights granted to Medsci Publications.
