       Document 2177
 DOCN  M94A2177
 TI    Knowledge of HIV/AIDS among people from Afghanistan residing in Canada.
 DT    9412
 AU    Purohit A; Chakraborty J; Fahim Z; Shah S; Niru KM; Faulkner Center for
       Reproductive Medicine, Harvard-Deaconess; Surgical Service, Boston, MA
       02130.
 SO    Int Conf AIDS. 1994 Aug 7-12;10(1):363 (abstract no. PD0059). Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA10/94370398
 AB    OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to obtain information regarding the
       knowledge of HIV/AIDS among people from Afghanistan who are currently
       residing in Canada. METHODS: A survey questionnaire with 10 major items
       and 2-11 questions for each item was distributed among 20 men and women.
       RESULTS: Fifteen percent knew someone with AIDS, 65% did not know that
       HIV causes AIDS. Casual contact such as hugging, handshake or sharing
       clothes (25%), swimming in a public pool (32%), kissing (55%) and
       sharing razor blades or toothbrushes (90%) were answered as causes of
       HIV transmission. Regarding high risk factors, 25% thought health care
       workers are at risk and another 25% thought that AIDS is a treatable
       disease. Eighty percent felt that people in Afghanistan do not have
       adequate knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Fifty percent felt that there should be
       a screening process for high risk population. CONCLUSION: Our study
       indicates that the knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS is not adequate among
       people from Afghanistan. Data on incidence of HIV/AIDS are not available
       from this country. It is important to obtain information from every
       country of the world and to provide some knowledge regarding this
       disease to the citizens of this country.
 DE    Afghanistan/ETHNOLOGY  Canada  *Educational Status  Female  Health
       Education  Human  HIV Infections/ETHNOLOGY/*PSYCHOLOGY/TRANSMISSION
       Male  Risk Factors  MEETING ABSTRACT

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

