11 February,2010 09:00 AM IST | | Alifiya Khan
68 per cent of youth say staying celibate is the ideal approach for keeping HIV-AIDS at bay, according to survey
Sixty-eight per cent of college students in Pune covered in a recent survey recommend abstaining from sex as the best strategy to fight HIV-AIDS. The study published this month in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology has more surprises to offer. A whopping 88 per cent wrongly believes that the virus can spread by touching HIV positive persons. And nearly half the students said that mosquito bites
spread HIV.
Dr Amitav Banerjee of the D Y Patil Medical College, Pune, who co-authored the study said 1,024 students aged between 14 to 19 years from four junior colleges of Pune were surveyed for the study. "The study took us over two years of research through the World Health Organisation-approved protocols. Our survey revealed that most youngsters had poor knowledge of HIV-AIDS. We have, therefore, initiated an education programme that would clear the misconceptions. However, we got a post-survey report to gauge if the programme was working.
Clearly, we have not achieved much because the misconceptions are deep-rooted," said Banerjee.
Unaware lot
Dr S B Bhosale, lead author of study, said that while 70 per cent of students thought HIV was preventable, more than 40 per cent of the group wasn't aware of preventive methods. "855 of the 1024 students said one should not share meals with the HIV-infected to keep oneself safe.
Sixty five per cent thought using public toilets can give you HIV. With so many youth getting infected with HIV-AIDS every year, this ignorance is extremely dangerous," added Bhosale.
Shocked at the results, AIDS activists and government officials said that the results of the study highlight the need for sex education in schools.
"The study has reinforced our belief in the dire need for imparting life skills or sex education in schools," said
Dr Harish Phatak, deputy director of Mumbai District Aids Control Society.
"Unless life skills are introduced in schools, the HIV epidemic will blow out of proportion," said Dr I S Gilada, founder of People's Health Organisation, Mumbai.
