ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: HIV infection has sustained increased in the Chilean young population. In order to focus on sexual education in adolescents, it is first necessary to establish the degree of knowledge and risk behaviors in this group. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the degree of knowledge and HIV/AIDS risk behaviors in adolescents from rural and urban schools. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 385 adolescents between 14 and 18 years old. Through an anonymous survey, sociodemographic data, knowledge about HIV/ AIDS, risk behaviors, and ways of accessing information were collected. RESULTS: A third of the adolescents surveyed (33.6%) reported having initiated sexual activity, primarily men. Rural students showed lower knowledge of HIV/AIDS. 32.2% of individuals who initiated sexual activity reported nonuse or rarely use of condoms, and only 4.4% of students have had an HIV detection/diagnostic test. Although the students had received information mainly from their teachers, they reported that if they needed help, they would go to health centers, youth programs, and, to a lesser extent, to teachers. They also preferred access to information in workshops, on the Internet, and social networks. CONCLUSIONS: We observed regular knowledge of HIV/AIDS among adolescents. Rural students showed less knowledge and several risk behaviors. These findings emphasize the need to establish sexual education strategies in adolescents, considering the territory and the use of new technologies.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adolescent , Risk-Taking , Rural Population/statistics & numerical data , Sexual Behavior/statistics & numerical data , Urban Population/statistics & numerical data , HIV Infections/prevention & control , HIV Infections/epidemiology , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Schools , Sex Education , Socioeconomic Factors , Students/psychology , Students/statistics & numerical data , Chile/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Surveys and Questionnaires , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/prevention & control , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/epidemiology , Adolescent Behavior/psychology , Sociodemographic FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: HIV infection has sustained increased in the Chilean young population. In order to focus on sexual education in adolescents, it is first necessary to establish the degree of knowledge and risk behaviors in this group. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the degree of knowledge and HIV/AIDS risk behaviors in adolescents from rural and urban schools. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 385 adolescents between 14 and 18 years old. Through an anonymous survey, sociodemographic data, knowledge about HIV/ AIDS, risk behaviors, and ways of accessing information were collected. RESULTS: A third of the adolescents surveyed (33.6%) reported having initiated sexual activity, primarily men. Rural students showed lower knowledge of HIV/AIDS. 32.2% of individuals who initiated sexual activity reported nonuse or rarely use of condoms, and only 4.4% of students have had an HIV detection/diagnostic test. Although the students had received information mainly from their teachers, they reported that if they needed help, they would go to health centers, youth programs, and, to a lesser extent, to teachers. They also preferred access to information in workshops, on the Internet, and social networks. CONCLUSIONS: We observed regular knowledge of HIV/AIDS among adolescents. Rural students showed less knowledge and several risk behaviors. These findings emphasize the need to establish sexual education strategies in adolescents, considering the territory and the use of new technologies.
Subject(s)
HIV Infections , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Risk-Taking , Rural Population , Sexual Behavior , Urban Population , Humans , Adolescent , Male , Female , Chile/epidemiology , Rural Population/statistics & numerical data , HIV Infections/prevention & control , HIV Infections/epidemiology , Urban Population/statistics & numerical data , Sexual Behavior/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and Questionnaires , Adolescent Behavior/psychology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Socioeconomic Factors , Students/statistics & numerical data , Students/psychology , Schools , Sociodemographic Factors , Sex Education , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/prevention & control , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Aliarcobacter butzleri (formerly known as Arcobacter butzleri) is an emerging food-borne zoonotic pathogen that establishes in vitro endosymbiotic relationships with Acanthamoeba castellanii, a free-living amoeba. Previously, we described that this bacterium acts as an endocytobiont of A. castellanii, surviving for at least 10 days in absence of bacterial replication. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of A. butzleri to survive as a long-term endosymbiont of A. castellanii for 30 days in two models of symbiotic interaction with A. castellanii: (i) endosymbiotic culture followed by gentamicin protection assay and (ii) transwell co-culture assay. The results allow us to conclude that A. butzleri is capable of surviving as an endosymbiont of A. castellanii for at least 30 days, without multiplying, under controlled laboratory conditions. In addition, in the absence of nutrients and as both microorganisms remain in the same culture, separated by semi-permeable membranes, A. castellanii does not promote the survival of A. butzleri, nor does it multiply. Our findings suggest that the greater survival capacity of A. butzleri is associated with their endosymbiont status inside A. castellanii, pointing out the complexity of this type of symbiotic relationship.
