Background: Despite many organized efforts by the government, adolescent anemia remains to be a major public health problem in India. The prevalence of anemia and factors influencing it in urban adolescent females is a relatively less studied aspect. Hence the current study is conducted with an objective of assessing the prevalence and factors influencing anemia among adolescent school girls living in an urban locality. Methods: The current study was a community-based cross sectional study conducted in the selected schools and colleges of Permabalur town, south India, in the field practice area of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital between June to December 2017. Total 373 adolescent girls selected by multistage simple random sampling were included in the study. The hemoglobin was assessed by cyanmethemoglobin method. Results: The prevalence of anaemia among urban adolescent girls was 41.1% (95% CI 0.36-0.46). The proportion of mild and moderate anaemia was 37% and 4.10% respectively and none had severe anaemia. Compared to upper middle class, the odds of anemia were 14.16 times more in the lower class (95% CI 4.54-44.12, p<0.001). Compared to scanty/normal bleeding, the odds of anemia were 2.943 (95% CI 1.4-3.87 p<0.05) more in girls with heavy bleeding. Age, upper lower or lower middle socio-economic strata, religion, type of family and menstrual irregularity did not have any statistically significant association with anemia. Conclusions: Anemia is highly prevalent among adolescent girls and there is a need to intensify efforts all levels to reduce the prevalence of anemia.

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Background: Many adolescents in higher secondary schools, who become sexually active, do so without accurate information about reproductive and sexual health. This lack of information can put them at risk of unplanned pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was carried out among 464 secondary school going adolescent students of Chengalpattu Taluk using a structured self-administered questionnaire comprising questions to assess the knowledge on reproduction, contraception and HIV/STD and the attitude on sexual risk behaviour. The data was analysed using MS excel and SPSS. Descriptive statistics such as rate, ratio and proportions were calculated. Results: The average level of knowledge on reproduction, contraception and STD/HIV was 38.5%, 34.75% and 45.5% respectively. Only 18% gave correct response to questions “there is problem if a girl does not get period 14 years” and “it is dangerous to have intercourse during a girl’s period”. Majority of 80% knew pregnancy happens when sperm fertilizes ovum and 80.6% gave incorrect answer to question that “letting semen drip out of the female organ after sex prevents pregnancy”. Almost 50% were ignorant that it is possible to have more than one STD. As many as 42.5% agreed about having sex with several people for their age. Only 52% agreed to use condom if sexually active. 56.2% disagreed to popularity of boy or girl who has sexual intercourse. Conclusions: The students lack correct information about sexuality issues in general which could be due to insufficient sexual education by schools and parents. Hence it becomes essential to include reproductive and sex education programs in all higher secondary schools.

25.3 million people have died of AIDS-related illnesses. Around 2 million people became newly infected with HIV in 2014 and 1.2 million people died from AIDSrelated causes worldwide. 1 India has the third highest number of estimated people living with HIV in the world. According to the HIV Estimations 2012, the estimated ABSTRACT Background: AIDS is one among the complex health problems of today's world, in the year 2014 there were 36.9 million people living with HIV. Since 2000, around 38.1 million people have become infected with HIV and 25.3 million people have died of AIDS-related illnesses. India has the third highest number of estimated people living with HIV in the world. Though the overall trend of HIV in India shows a declining trend, the HIV infected cases among adolescent age group in India is on the rise. The aim is to assess the knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS among engineering students and to assess the attitude of students towards people infected with HIV/AIDS. Methods: Cross sectional study done among 500 college students from an engineering college in Nellore district from August 2015 to September 2015. The selection of study subjects was done using convenience sampling. After consenting, each participant answered a questionnaire comprising of questions pertaining to awareness and attitude of people toward PLHA. Results: About 54% of the participants were aware that HIV can spread through body fluids such as blood, semen/vaginal fluid and breast milk and 58% knew that HIV can spread by having sex with an infected partner. About 37% of the students answered that they would not sit next to a HIV infected person on a bus and 59% of the students responded that they would divorce their spouse if they happen to know that (he/she) is infected. Conclusions: Though the study population is aware of the disease HIV/AIDS, complete knowledge about the disease, its modes of spread and protective measures is not satisfactory. It is observed that stigmatization and tendency to discriminate people living with HIV/AIDS is still present and there is no complete acceptance of positive cases by the study subjects.

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