ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study is to check the HIV awareness of the first-year university students in Melitopol, Ukraineexperimentally to substantiate its importance (particularly about the way of its transmission and prevention) as ahealth-preserving factor. The study was conducted among the first-year university students in Melitopol, Ukraine.A total of 163 students (42 male and 121 female) participated in the survey in order to ascertain the students’ HIVawareness and develop particular methods of filling the gaps in their knowledge about HIV/AIDS, as well aspromote preventive measures against HIV spread in Ukraine. A questionnaire was developed for the survey, andit consisted of two blocks: the first one contained the questions concerning the students’ HIV awareness; thesecond block was aimed at determining the sources of information from which the students received knowledgeabout HIV. The results of the survey demonstrated that the students have low HIV awareness that can lead to HIVinfection. It has been found out that educational activities at universities and schools are the most effective meansof HIV awareness formation and HIV infection prevention among youth (37.4%). Formation of preventiveprograms should be aimed at reducing the risk behaviour of young people. The existence of a correlation betweenthe level of awareness and the probability of HIV infection has been revealed. It was found out that educationalactivities on HIV/AIDS should be understood as a set of timely provided knowledge about the ways of HIVinfection and methods of its prevention. It was proved that the acquired knowledge influences the first-yearstudents inner motivation to change behaviour which is a health saving factor