OBJECTIVETo identify the status and risk factors of transmission in couples which males was HIV-positive in Zhejiang province.

METHODSA cross-sectional study was conducted among HIV-serodiscordant couple (male positive) and HIV-seroconcordant couple (male first infected). A self-designed questionnaire was complimented containing basic information, the awareness of infection and HIV-testing, sexual relationship power, self-efficacy of condom use, sex. The univariated and multivariate logistic regression methods were used to analyze the influence factors.

RESULTSA total of 263 couples were enrolled in this study, including 210 HIV HIV-serodiscordant couples and 53 HIV-seroconcordant couples. HIV-positive males aged 30-50 accounted for 57.8% (152 cases) and females under junior high school accounted for 79.1% (208 cases). HIV/AIDS accounted for 41.1% (217 cases). The proportion of man who were diagnosed as HIV, MSM and ever heard HIV were 61.9% (130 cases), 38.3% (80 cases) and 81.9% (172 cases), which were higher than that in HIV positive 47.2% (25 cases), 7.5% (4 cases), 64.2% (34 cases); χ(2)=3.80, 18.33, 7.86;P=0.051, 0.001, 0.005. The results revealed that AIDS patients had high risk to infect their spouse than HIV patients (OR=2.93, 95% CI: 1.05-8.21). Male patients who had ever heard " HIV" before were less likely pass virus to their wives than those who had never heard " HIV" (OR=0.13, 95% CI: 0.04-0.41). Compared with heterosexuality man, homosexuality man' wives had high risk to get virus from their husbands (OR=0.14, 95% CI: 0.03-0.73). Female infected with STIs was the independent factors for HIV infection (OR=4.86, 95% CI: 1.23-19.11).

CONCLUSIONAmong the couples of male HIV-positive in Zhejiang Province, the risk of spouses infected with HIV virus has relationship with male disease progression, sexual orientation and awareness of AIDS knowledge. For females who infected with sexual diseases in last 6 months might be infected by their spouses.

Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; HIV Antibodies ; blood ; HIV Infections ; transmission ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Sexual Behavior ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; transmission ; Spouses

OBJECTIVETo estimate the relationship between migration and HIV risky behavior when controlling for gender, age, and educational levels and to evaluate the gender differences in migration, HIV knowledge, and HIV risky behaviors among rural youth in China.

METHODSA cross-sectional, anonymous, investigative questionnaire for 1710 unmarried, out-of-school rural youth, aged between 15 and 24 years, was handed out in Gongzhuling county of Jilin province, China.

RESULTS58.5% of participants had a history of migration, irrespective of gender. There were gender differences observed in other factors such as drug abuse (4.3% for males and 5.5% for females, P<0.01), multiple sexual partners (24.1% for males and 44.1% for females, P<0.01), and HIV knowledge rate (35.2% for males and 25.5% for females, P<0.001). While controlling for gender, age, and educational levels, the relationships between migration and drug abuse, selling sex, and non usage of condoms during last instance of sexual activity were found to be significant. The cases of premarital sex and multiple sexual partners were both not found to be related to migration.

CONCLUSIONAmong rural youth, the HIV risky behavior such as drug abuse, selling sex, and lack of condom use, is significantly related to migration, while premarital sex and multiple sexual partners seem unrelated to migration.

Adolescent ; China ; epidemiology ; Condoms ; utilization ; Female ; HIV Infections ; complications ; epidemiology ; transmission ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Human Migration ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; Risk-Taking ; Rural Population ; statistics & numerical data ; Sex Factors ; Sex Work ; statistics & numerical data ; Substance-Related Disorders ; complications ; epidemiology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Transients and Migrants ; psychology ; statistics & numerical data ; Unsafe Sex ; psychology ; statistics & numerical data ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the current cognition of occupational exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the personal occupational protection awareness in healthcare workers in Liuzhou, China.

METHODSA total of 270 healthcare workers were selected from 10 hospitals in Liuzhou by stratified random sampling for a cross-sectional study. And a self-administered questionnaire of occupational exposure to HIV was designed to conduct a survey. The descriptive analysis of data was carried out by Excel. And a logistic regression analysis was done to analyze the effects of different factors on healthcare workers' cognition of occupational exposure to HIV using the statistical analysis software SPSS 19.0.

RESULTSA total of 260 usable questionnaires (96.3%) were returned. Among them, 220 healthcare workers (84.6%) had received the trainings on occupational exposure to HIV; 223 healthcare wofkers (85.8%) were aware of the rules and regulations on prevention of occupational exposure to HIV and the operation procedures in their hospitals. The healthcare workers who had not received the trainings or had not known the rules and regulations and the operation procedures were mainly from primary or secondary hospitals. A total of 106 healthcare workers (40.8%) had directly contacted patients' blood or body fluids; 154 healthcare workers (59.2%) were injured by sharp instruments, and most were hollow needle stick injuries (98/154, 63.6%). A total of 168 healthcare workers (68.08%) had better cognitive awareness of occupational exposure to HIV, and 76 healthcare workers (29.2%) had moderate cognitive awareness. Some healthcare workers had poor knowledge in the common sense of AIDS/HIV and occupational exposure to HIV, the personal protection awareness of occupational exposure, or the disposal measures after occupational exposure. The univariate analysis using chi-square test showed that occupation and professional title were significantly correlated with the cognition (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the doctors (OR3.8; P<0.05), nurses (OR3.04, P<0.05), and laboratory technicians (OR=9.51, P<0.05) had better awareness compared with the others. The healthcare workers with a primary or lower professional title had poorer awareness compared with the healthcare workers with a higher professional title (OR=0.47, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONHealthcare workers have the risk of occupational exposure to HIT. They do not have comprehensive and systematic knowledge related to occupational exposure to HIV, and they have a high demand for training.

Awareness ; China ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; HIV Infections ; prevention & control ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional ; prevention & control ; Laboratory Personnel ; Needlestick Injuries ; Nurses ; Occupational Exposure ; prevention & control ; Physicians ; Risk ; Surveys and Questionnaires

We reviewed the current human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention education programmes in Singapore, discussed the challenges faced and proposed prevention education interventions for the future. Education programmes on HIV prevention have shown some success as seen by reduced visits to sex workers among the general adult population and a marked increase in condom use among brothel-based sex workers. However, we still face many challenges such as low awareness of HIV preventive strategies and high prevalence of HIV stigma in the general population. Voluntary HIV testing and condom use remain low among the priority groups such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexual men who buy sex. Casual sex has increased markedly from 1.1% in 1989 to 17.4% in 2007 among heterosexuals in Singapore, with the majority (84%) practising unprotected sex. Sex workers have moved from brothels to entertainment venues where sex work is mostly hidden with lack of access to sexually transmitted infections (STIs)/ HIV prevention education and treatment programmes. Education programmes promoting early voluntary testing is hampered because of poor access, high cost and stigma towards people living with HIV. It remains a challenge to promote abstinence and consistent condom use in casual and steady sexual relationships among heterosexuals and MSM. New ways to promote condom use by using a positive appeal about its pleasure enhancing effects rather than the traditional disease-oriented approach should be explored. Education programmes promoting early voluntary testing and acceptance of HIV-infected persons should be scaled up and integrated into the general preventive health services.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; HIV Infections ; prevention & control ; transmission ; Health Education ; methods ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Health Promotion ; Homosexuality, Male ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Middle Aged ; Safe Sex ; Sex Work ; Sex Workers ; Singapore ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To explore the characteristics of sexual risk behaviors and related factors of drug users in two enforced detoxification institutions in Changsha, China. METHODS: A total of 309 drug users from two compulsory detoxifications in Hunan Province were investigated using self-designed questionnaire, which included background information, drug use and sexual risk behaviors, STD/HIV related knowledge and permissiveness of sexual behaviors. RESULTS: Among 309 drug users, 279 (90.3%) had regular sexual relationships, and 85 (27.5%) of them had more than 1 regular partner. The prevalence of casual sexual behaviors, commercial sexual behaviors and multi-partner sexual behaviors was 38.2% (118/309), 25.9% (80/309), and 62.8% (194/309), respectively. And 74 (23.9%) had sex with both commercial and noncommercial partners. The major factors related to sexual risk behaviors were gender, marital status, the age of sexual debut, drug injection, the history of STD and sexual permissiveness. CONCLUSION Sexually risk behaviors are relatively common in drug users. To modify the sexual risk behaviors in this group is very important to prevent and control HIV transmission to general population.
Adolescent ; Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Drug Users ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; HIV Infections ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; transmission ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk-Taking ; Sexual Partners ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Unsafe Sex ; statistics & numerical data ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDHuman immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)-related stigma is an obstacle to the implementation of treatment, care, and support programs for people living with HIV/AIDS. This study explored the association of the HIV knowledge with the attitudes toward HIV/AIDS.

METHODSA cross-sectional survey was conducted in HIV epidemic rural areas with 5355 participants. Their knowledge and attitudes about HIV/AIDS were assessed, and the associations of HIV transmission and non-transmission knowledge with negative attitudes towards the HIV/AIDS were analyzed.

RESULTSNegative attitudes were significantly correlated with the HIV non-transmission knowledge and the correlation was higher than that with HIV transmission knowledge among participants who were male, 20 years old and migrant workers, students and respondents of and above junior high school. However, among those who were female, age 30 and older, illiterate with primary school education, negative attitudes were significantly associated with HIV non-transmission knowledge and the association was lower than that with HIV transmission knowledge.

CONCLUSIONSHIV transmission knowledge and non-transmission knowledge have different influences on negative attitudes towards HIV/AIDS among different demographic subgroups.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; transmission ; Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; HIV Infections ; transmission ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To describe the attitude of elementary and middle school students and their parents toward children affected by HIV/AIDS and to analyze the determinants of such attitude. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with the stratified cluster sampling method was conducted to interview elementary and middle school students and their parents, and questionnaires were distributed to collect information about the basic characteristics, HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitude toward children affected by HIV/AIDS. Student's t-test, ANOVA and multilevel model were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A total of 732 students and their parents finished the questionnaires. The students' and parents' awareness rates were 77.56% (95% CI: 63.08% - 92.05%)and 81.76% (95% CI: 72.33% - 91.20%), respectively. Questions with the lowest proportion of positive attitude included separating the children affected by HIV/AIDS and not studying with those children in the same class. Gender (b =-1.15, P =0.016) and knowledge (b =1.26, P <0.001) of students, as well as attitude (b =0.40, P <0.001) of parents were associated with the students' attitude, while parents' knowledge (b =0.93, P <0.001) was associated with parents' attitude. CONCLUSION Discrimination towards children affected by HIV/AIDS exists among students and their parents. HIV/AIDS knowledge education helps to improve the students' and parents' caring and supporting attitude toward children affected by HIV/AIDS.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; psychology ; transmission ; Adolescent ; Child ; China ; Female ; HIV Infections ; psychology ; transmission ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Parents ; psychology ; Sampling Studies ; Social Environment ; Students ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo evaluate a four-hour life-skills-based HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum among 5th grade students in rural primary schools of Hainan province.

METHODSThe study included two stages. Stage one (September 2006-May 2007) was a pre-post-quasi experimental design; a total of 2,413 students aged 9 to 14 years from fifth grade classes of nine primary schools completed a baseline survey (1,720 students were in the intervention group, 693 in the control group), and over 98% of them took part in a short survey. The experimental curriculum was provided to the intervention group. At stage two (September 2008), a cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to 6,923 students in 7th grade classes of eight middle schools in the same study sites. There were 1,437 students in the intervention group when the curriculum was conducted.

RESULTSStudents tended to score higher in areas of HIV/AIDS related knowledge and attitudes, if they were younger than average, lived in the county seat, had access to the internet, and their parents had completed higher levels of education. Path analysis showed that, after controlling for characteristics such as family and community factors, the total effects of curriculum on knowledge in the short-term model increased remarkably compared with the baseline, and maintained major contributions to knowledge in the mid-term model. The positive effect of knowledge on attitudes was significantly improved in the short-term model as well.

CONCLUSIONA life-skills based curriculum can improve HIV/AIDS related knowledge and self-perceived level of life-skills among primary school students in rural areas in a short time, and these positive effects can still be observed at least 2 years post participation in the curriculum.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; prevention & control ; transmission ; Adolescent ; Adolescent Behavior ; China ; Curriculum ; Female ; HIV Infections ; prevention & control ; transmission ; Health Behavior ; Health Education ; organization & administration ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Educational ; Program Evaluation ; Rural Population ; School Health Services ; organization & administration ; Schools ; Sex Education ; Social Class ; Students ; Surveys and Questionnaires

AIMTo promote the provision of reproductive health services to young people by exploring the attitudes and perceptions of university students in Shanghai, China, toward reproductive health.

METHODSFrom July 2004 to May 2006, 5 243 students from 14 universities in Shanghai took part in our survey. Topics covered the demands of reproductive health-care services, attitudes towards and experience with sex, exposure to pornographic material, and knowledge on sexual health and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)/AIDS.

RESULTSOf the 5 067 students who provided valid answer sheets, 50.05% were female and 49.95% were male, 14.86% were medical students, and 85.14% had non-medical backgrounds. A total of 38.4% of respondents had received reproductive health education previously. The majority of students supported school-based reproductive health education, and also acquired information about sex predominantly from books, schoolmates, and the Internet. Premarital sexual behavior was opposed by 17.7% of survey participants, and 37.5% could identify all the three types of STIs listed in the questionnaire. Although 83.7% knew how HIV is transmitted, only 55.7% knew when to use a condom and 57.8% knew that the use of condoms could reduce the risk of HIV infection.

CONCLUSIONThe reproductive health service is lagging behind current attitudes and demands of university students. Although students' attitudes towards sexual matters are liberal, their knowledge about reproductive health and STIs/AIDS is still limited. It is therefore necessary to provide effective and confidential reproductive health services to young people.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Attitude to Health ; China ; Female ; HIV Infections ; prevention & control ; transmission ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; statistics & numerical data ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Male ; Perception ; Reproductive Health Services ; utilization ; Sexual Behavior ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; prevention & control ; transmission ; Student Health Services ; utilization ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Universities

Background: Cau Giay is a district within Hanoi city, where diverse people live. Motorbike Taxi Drivers (MTDs) are at high-risk of HIV infection. Objectives: To study the knowledge, attitude and HIV transmission behaviors among MTDs in Cau Giay district. Subjects and method: A cross-sectional study was carried out between March and October 2007 on 250 MTDs who worked at Cau Giay district. Results and conclusions:30.4% MTDs perceived that HIV could not be transmitted to others via sharing nail clippers or scissors with HIV infected people, 42% believed HIV can transmit via mosquito bites, 72% thought the rate of the HIV transmission from mother to child was 100%, 40% were aware that HIV could be recognized from people's appearance. Only 26.5% of the respondents were aware of the 3 main effects of condom use (including prevention from pregnancy, STls and HIV). 83.2% considered HIV/AIDS infected people as social evils such as injecting drug users, Commercial Sex Workers (CSWs). 23.2% MTDs showed are agreeable when being asked to look for CSWs by customers. 12% MTDs agreed to seek out drugs when the customers requested. The survey also reveals that there were 49.2% of MTDs having sex with CSWs within the last 6 months, of which, 58.2% did not regularly practice safe sex with CSWs. Some risk factors included low level of education, time of being MTD >3 years, low income (less than 2,000,000 VND a month), less frequent appraisal books and newspapers. MTDs that were ready to look for CSWs and drugs via customers\u2019 requests also had high risk of using drugs as well as unsafe sex.
HIV transmission knowledge ; HIV transmission attitude ; HIV transmission behavior ; motorbike taxi driver