A study carried out in two Belgian universities shows that students’ knowledge of AIDS and STDs is very low, in particular concerning the transmission of HIV.
Mosquitoes transmitting HIV! This is one of the misconceptions that die hard among teenagers. According to a study conducted at the universities of Hasselt and Ghent, in Belgium, among 450 students, 6 in 10 believe that AIDS is transmitted by mosquitoes. And 1 in 5 think antibiotics help protect themselves from the virus. Finally, two thirds of those polled are unaware that HIV can be transmitted through breast milk.
In contrast, most students were aware of the risk of transmission during pregnancy and childbirth, or when syringes were reused. The majority also know that the condom protects against the virus. According to Sophie Degroote, author of this study, sexual experience plays a role in knowledge of STDs and AIDS. “Students who have not yet had sex score very low,” she says.
Ignorance in France too
In France, knowledge is not that much better. A survey carried out in Ile-de-France in 2010 shows that 21% of Ile-de-France residents think that HIV can be transmitted by mosquitoes, 13% in public toilets and 6% by drinking from the glass of an infected person. And the students may well know that the condom is an effective means of prevention, 30% never use them, according to the 2014 Health study by Smerep. This degradation of knowledge mainly concerns young people who began their sexual life after the arrival of antiretroviral drugs, and who have a different perception of AIDS from previous generations. In view of these results, the new INPES campaign for the correct use of condoms by adolescents is proving useful. Each year in France, there are nearly 6,400 new HIV infections, and around 30,000 people are HIV positive without knowing it.
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