Knowledge about HIV/ AIDS and HIV testing

Knowledge about HIV/ AIDS and HIV testing
The study found that 81.6% of respondents said they
knew what HIV and AIDS were at the time of
interviewing. Older drug addicts were more likely to know
about HIV compared to younger drug addicts (p < 0.01).
In terms of HIV education, 55.5% gained knowledge
about HIV from the TV followed by 48.5% from
magazines and books, 41.4% from HIV promotional
leaflets, 30.2% from newspaper and 21.4% from peers.
62.4% were worried about getting AIDS in the future and
13.1% thought you could identify those infected with
AIDS by their general appearance. 60.8% had never had
a HIV test, 25.9% once in the past and only 13.3% have
a test at least once a year.
Predictors of risk behaviours among drug users
Table 3 presents the results comparing individual
demographic characteristics, intravenous use and heroin
dose and HIV knowledge with condom use during vaginal
sex and needle sharing. Drug addicts who were less
likely to use condoms were significantly more likely to be
older, unemployed, married and not know what HIV was.
Furthermore the population was significantly less likely to
use condoms if they had been injecting heroin for a
longer period of time, had a higher frequency of daily
drug intravenous or had a higher daily dose of heroin.
Drug users who shared needles were significantly more
likely to be of Han Chinese ethnicity, had been injecting
for a longer period of time, a higher daily frequency of
drug Intravenous and higher daily dose.
In ordinal regression, occupational status, marital
status and daily dose of heroin were significant
independent predictors of condom use during vaginal sex
(Table 4). In binary logistic regression sex, ethnicity,
months and frequency of injecting were significant
predictors of ever needle sharing in the past (Table 4).