Knowledge, attitude, practice and behaviour among attendants of HIV/AIDS patients in Mandalay General Hospital

ABSTRACT

HIV/AIDS epidemic is a global phenomena, still highly dynamic unstable and challenging the world. Coping with this problems entirely depends on changing individual and collective human behaviour. A total of 144 attendants of hospitalized HIV/AIDS patients were interviewed in Medical Unit II, Mandalay General Hospital with questionnaire to obtain information for his KAPB study of HIV/AIDS disease. This was a one year study starting from august 1995. Most of them knew mode of transmissions were by sex and improperly sterlized syringes and needles, ie., 77.74 per cent. Regarding the major diagnostic criteria for AIDS, 55.3 per cent, 30.49 per cent and 30.48 per cent of attendants could identify weight loss, chronic diarrhoea and fever more than one months as criteria. It is surprising that only 36.17 per cent and 46.42 per cent of attendants knew that condom use and gloves can prevent the transmission of disease. About 23.88 per cent of them have never heard about HIV/AIDS. but 25.27 per cent of attendants obtained information about HIV/AIDS from TV and Video. 13.43 per cent from magazines. 20 per cent from third person and 7.46 per cent from newspapers. Most of them felt that HIV/AIDS is a stigmata disease as 72.91 per cent of people think that they will be outcasts and 72.41 per cent felt they will lose their jobs if they have such disease. It is encouraging to know that approximately 65 per cent of attendants did not reject their patients and were willing to stay in the same house with them. Some of them have risk behaviour like IVDU (1.37 per cent) at one time, 26.20 per cent have experienced with extramarital sex and 2.75 per cent never used condom in extramarital sex. It is interesting that 64.88 per cent of people have had first sexual experience before the age of 25 and 20.13 per cent have had before 18 years of age. It seems that the level of knowledge of the public regarding HIV/AIDS is still insufficient and unsatisfactory. We need to give intensive health education aimed at target groups and emphasis should be on the under 18 age group.