Comprehensive knowledge and positive attitude of married men regarding HIV/ AIDS in Pakistan Evidence from Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18

Abstract

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a life-threatening condition due to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, and remains a major public health issue, mostly in under-developing countries. Pakistan is the second largest country in South Asia with a significant increase in HIV cases. This research explores the comprehensive knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS, dispelling myths and their positive attitude toward people living with HIV/ AIDS (PLWHA) in Pakistan. The study is based on the secondary dataset of married men of the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) 2017-18. The sample size was comprised of 3,690 married men, within the age bracket between 15 to 49 years. The descriptive analysis, cross-tabulation, and logistics regression were applied. The results illustrated that more than 67 percent of Pakistani married men have heard about HIV/ AIDS, however, among these men, 50.6 percent have comprehensive knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS, and 54.1 percent have a positive attitude toward PLWHA. The result of logistic regression analysis highlighted that married men who have lower knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS belong to the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh, aged between 20 -24 years, having primary level education and working in the sector of agriculture. Further, logistic regression analysis found that there are lower odds of positive attitude among those married men, who belong to the region of Gilgit Baltistan, Federal Administrated Tribal Area, aged between 20-24 years, having a primary level of education and working in the sector of agriculture. Finally, this research concluded that individuals’ socio-demographic traits are critical to understanding and addressing the prevailing myths to combat HIV/AIDS in Pakistan.