Only 5 per cent of women have knowledge about preventing AIDS

[Guest guest]

Only 5 per cent of women have comprehensive knowledge about ways of preventing

HIV/AIDS.

Joe

According the findings of the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS)only 5

per cent of Indian women have comprehensive knowledge about ways of preventing

HIV/AIDS. There is an urgent need to review the policy and program implications

of NFHS2 HIV/AIDS data.

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) has now come to be regarded as a

storehouse of demographic and health data in India. NFHS-2 collected a range of

social, health and demographic indicators. Data was collected from around

1,00,000 households from 18 states. Indian AIDS policy makers, researchers and

activists must take note of the HIV/AIDS related data from the NFHS-2

particularly the findings on HIV/AIDS awareness among ever-married women.

S. Irudaya Rajan, K S (2004), Usha Sambamoorthi, Rakkee Thimothy, Wenhui

Wei and S Irudaya Rajan (2004) have analysed the relationship between antenatal

care and AIDS awareness and knowledge of methods of revention, and shows a

strong connection between the two. But AIDS awareness and knowledge among

married women is disturbingly low.

They utilised this data to understand the levels and determinants of AIDS

knowledge. The sample was restricted to women in the childbearing age groups

between 18-45 years who had given birth in the previous three years. This is on

the assumption that during the antenatal period, they receive correct

information on AIDS from the health worker. According to Irudaya Rajan and

colleagues, though the government of India spends millions of rupees on

awareness campaigns, the findings show a dismal record. The majority of women

had not heard about AIDS and among those who had 37 per cent did not have any

knowledge of preventive measures. Only 5 per cent had comprehensive knowledge

about ways of preventing it.

Usha Sambamoorthi and collagues reported that overall, the rate of AIDS

awareness was low, with only 36 per cent of women having heard about AIDS. The

rate of awareness significantly varied by the receipt and type of antenatal

care. Approximately 43 per cent fewer married women without antenatal care than

women with antenatal care had heard about AIDS (53 per cent versus 9 per cent).

They also observed significant differences in AIDS awareness by type of

antenatal care. Women who had received prenatal care from doctors had the

highest rate of awareness (57 per cent). There is significant and consistent

group differences by socio-economic status. Women of higher socio-economic

status as measured by educational levels and standard of living were

significantly more likely to have heard about AIDS than women with less

education and lower standards of living. The rates were highest among women who

were highly educated (94 per cent) and lowest among women without any education

(11 per cent). Similarly, women with high income were more likely to have heard

about AIDS (73 per cent) than women with a low (16 per cent) or moderate (37 per

cent) standard of living.

A significantly higher proportion of women (66.2 per cent) living in areas where

antenatal incidence is at least 1 per cent than women living in areas where

infection among high-risk individuals is 5 per cent or higher (36.6 per cent)

had heard about AIDS. Women with access to prenatal care through doctors were

about three times as likely to have heard about AIDS as women without receipt of

antenatal care than other women

According to the authors, outreach and intervention efforts therefore need to

focus on promoting comprehensive knowledge about prevention of AIDS, especially

through the broadcast media.

Considering the unique representativeness of the data; geographical as well as

sample size, it is necessary to subject further review and analysis of HIV/AIDS

related NFHS2 data. The findings on urban rural differences and state specific

data should inform national HIV/AIDS policy. It is important, that the

technical resource groups of NACO, HIV social researchers and leading national

academic institutions to review the policy and program implications of NFHS-2

HIV/AIDS data

References:

S. Irudaya Rajan, K S (2004) Second National Family Health Survey:

Emerging Issues. Economic and Political Weekly February 14, 2004

Usha Sambamoorthi, Rakkee Thimothy, Wenhui Wei, S Irudaya Rajan (2004).

Antenatal Care and AIDS Knowledge among Married Women. Economic and Political

Weekly February 14, 2004