ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is becoming more prevalent in the world, but there is no definite treatment method and no proved vaccine availabel. Therefore, prevention is the best method to lessen it and blocking it's transmission route is the most effective method. We conducted a survey on the changing trend of knowledge, attitude and perception for AIDS between the year 1993 and 1999 among freshmen of a university. METHOD: The subjects were 2,340 freshmen of a university in Seoul and the study period was one month from Jan. 16 to Feb. 15 1999. The survey had been done with pre-designed questionnaire method which was same to the one in 1993. Total 2,305 cases were analyzed and compared with the results in 1993 excluding 35 cases with insufficient responses. RESULTS: Among the questions about knowledge for AIDS the increasing trend was found in 13 items "AIDS is caused by a virus", "AIDS can be contracted by light kissing with AIDS patient", "AIDS can be contracted by hugging AIDS patient", "AIDS can be contracted by using AIDS patient's belongings", and so on. The decreasing trend was found in items "All homosexuals are apt to get AIDS", "Most of AIDS patients die of the disease", "AIDS patients are easy to contract other diseases", and "AIDS can be contracted by other sexually-transmitted viruses". CONCLUSION: The freshmen entered in 1999 knew the transmission route of AIDS relatively well. They thought that AIDS was not a serious disease but they could get AIDS. The changing trend showed that public education had a considerable effect on students' knowledge and attitude for AIDS.