AIDS related information, attitudes and behaviours among Italian male young people.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

AIDS related information, attitudes and behaviours among Italian male young people.

Eur J Epidemiol. 1995 Feb;11(1):23-31. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96104931
Carducci A; Frasca M; Grasso A; Terzi I; Avio CM; Department of Experimental, Infective and Public Biomedicine,; University of Pisa, Italy.

Abstract: In order to evaluate the AIDS related sources of information, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours among male young people it was filled in a multi-choice anonymous questionnaire by 2018 subjects, called for the first medical examination to Italian Navy and by 1348 recruits. The data from the latter group were used to make comparisons with our previous survey carried out in 1988. The most important sources of information on AIDS were mass media and school, on sexuality friends and family. AIDS awareness was greater among the high educated subjects and positively influenced by mass media and school as sources of information. In agreement with these data, knowledge was better about AIDS than about sexuality. Risk perception was positively influenced by the AIDS-related knowledge for called youth and a greater intolerance towards infected people was observed among the less educated and the less AIDS-aware subjects. On average 46% of the called up young men and 74% of recruits declared to be sexually active: among these, the mean age at the first sexual intercourse was 16, over 60% declared to have had multiple partners, over 30% unknown partners and over 30% didn't use condoms; 20% of called up and 38% of recruits indicated 2 or 3 risk behaviours. Factors determining sex-related risks were different according to the behaviour and the considered group. These results suggest that it is important for young people to be well informed about sex and AIDS before the beginning of sexual activity, if possible during compulsory school.

Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/EPIDEMIOLOGY/PREVENTION & CONTROL/*PSYCHOLOGY Adolescence Adult Human Italy/EPIDEMIOLOGY *Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Male *Military Personnel Patient Education Questionnaires Risk Factors Sex Behavior Support, Non-U.S. Gov't JOURNAL ARTICLE
960330
M9630713

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