AIDS-related attitudes and knowledge among attenders at a Scottish family planning clinic
Barbour, R.S.; Macintyre, S.; McIlwaine, G.; Wilson, E.
Scottish Medical Journal 36(2): 46-48
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-9330 PMID: 1853194 DOI: 10.1177/003693309103600206Document Number: 316132
In Glasgow, Scotland, 1970 people responded to a survey about AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and practices at the main family planning clinic. Most favored AIDS services in family planning clinics. Responses concerning what groups should be tested for HIV varied(36% everyone; 56w all pregnant women; and 63% all homosexual men). Moreover, 77% felt intravenous drug users should be tested, yet this group do not represent the largest group of AIDS/HIV cases. Indeed respondents had a tendency to believe that testing programs should be directed at others and not themselves. Those 20 and those 30 tended to say everyone should be tested (p.0001). 25-29 respondents exhibited the least zeal for testing of all pregnant women (p.001), yet 51% felt pregnant women should be tested. 73% of men and 62% of women favored routine testing of homosexual men which may reflect homophobia (p.001). Married people and those in steady relationships also favored testing homosexual men (p.005). Only 26% of respondents believed they knew enough about AIDS whereas 54% believed they did not know enough. Those 20 and those not in a steady relationship were least likely to feel they were well informed (p.001 and p.005 respectively). Respondents basically knew how HIV is transmitted, but 16% thought that donating blood would transmit HIV and another 16% were not sure if it did or not. In fact, those 20 were most likely to believe they could get HIV through donating blood (p.0001). Only 83% knew that safe sex reduces risk. Those not in a steady relationship were least likely to know about safe sex (p.005) and that a mother can infect an unborn baby with HIV (p.05). Those 20 felt only homosexual men were at risk (p.05) and that one could tell if someone is HIV infected by looking at him/her (p.01). They also tended not to know about the risk of receiving blood transfusions in the past (p.0001).