Knowledge and attitudes about HIV/AIDS in illegal residents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objectives:To study the knowledge, attitudes, and practices with regard to human immunodeficiency virus infection / acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in illegal residents, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).Materials and Methods:A questionnaire study was conducted among the illegal residents from four regions in Saudi Arabia: Jeddah, Makkah, Riyadh, and Jazan.Results:The survey enrolled 5,000 participants, 79%male (39.6% from Jeddah; 20% from Riyadh; and 20% from Jazan), aged between 15 and 45 years. Of the total, 1288 (25.8%) had not heard about HIV/AIDS. Knowledge of HIV transmission was poor in 90% of the respondents. Of the total, 737 had read about HIV/AIDS materials and 649 participants had been previously tested for HIV. The majority of participants (85%) held a negative attitude toward people living with HIV/AIDS. Those who were knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS expressed more a positive attitude. One-fifth (968, majority were men; single 55%, married 45%) had engaged in non-marital sexual activity. The largest proportion of the individuals who had engaged in non-marital sex were single (54.9%) followed by the married ones (40.4%). Men cited pleasure as the main reason for such activity (84.6%), whereas women (73.4%) cited financial gain. Of the respondents, 53.9 and 32.1% believed that TV and schools were the best media through which information with regard to HIV/AIDS could be imparted.Conclusions:Knowledge of HIV/AIDS, its mode of transmission, and prevention measures was poor. Educational programs specifically targeted toward this group were required.

Global Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS: A Resurgence in North America and Europe

“…In particular, comparison across regions can be problematic due to variations in resource availability and research capacity. Also, as AIDS is a politically charged issue and remains stigmatized, there is likely to be considerable underreporting [ 33 ]. Despite these limitations, the GBD dataset is the most comprehensive and up-to-date resource on disease epidemiology.…”

Human immunodeficiency virus related discrimination in general dentistry

“…Also, with a one-unit increase in participants’ self-protective attitude against HIV; an increased level of participants’ HIV-related discrimination (by 1.3-times) was noted. Despite the low levels of HIV prevalence in Saudi Arabia, healthcare providers are a poor source of information for PLWH 25,26. Therefore, dental clinics must play a role in educating the population about HIV and the PLWH 27.…”

Formas De Transmissão Do Hiv: Conhecimento De Acadêmicos De Fisioterapia E Fatores Associados.

“…Ainda em relação à utilização dos meios de comunicação para construção de conhecimento, os resultados aqui apresentados não apontaram associação significativa entre o tempo diário assistindo televisão ou navegando na Internet e maiores domínios das formas de transmissão do HIV. Estes resultados foram opostos à hipótese inicial da investigação, a qual acreditava encontrar maior conhecimento nos alunos com mais tempo diário de contato com estes meios de mídia, visto que jornais, televisão, rádio e Internet são apontados, em alguns estudos, como principais fontes de informações (MEMISH et al, 2015;CHAVES, 2014;GONÇALVES et al, 2013). Percebe-se, porém, que os acadêmicos que costumam utilizar estes meios de comunicação principalmente para o lazer, apresentaram, mesmo que não significativa estatisticamente, uma maior prevalência de conhecimento insatisfatório comparado àqueles que os usam para fins didáticos (estudos/buscar apoio didático), ou até mesmo costumam assistir documentários e reportagens.…”

“…Nesse sentido, ainda são poucos os estudos que avaliam os níveis de conhecimento dos profissionais e acadêmicos da área da saúde quanto ao HIV/ Aids, destacando-se que os existentes estão concentrados, principalmente, na área da Odontologia (PUN-DE;PUNDE, 2014, MOURA et al, 2014HAMERSHOCK, 2014) e Medicina (MARZÁN-RODRÍGUEZ; VARAS- DÍAZ, 2015;MEMISH et al, 2015). Enfermagem (FAROTIMI; NWOZICHI; OJEDIRAN, 2015), Farmácia (VASCONCE-LOS; COÊLHO, 2013), Psicologia (VASCONCELOS; FELIX, 2015) e Fisioterapia (SILVA et al, 2013) são áreas que também apresentam estudos publicados.…”