Adolescents and HIV: Knowledge, Behaviors, Influences, and Risk Perceptions

Although the rate of progression from HIV to AIDS has slowed, the incidence of HIV infection has continued to rise. Many teenagers are knowledgeable about the risks and consequences of HIV, yet a large percentage do not perceive that they are personally at risk. Gaining insight into the perceptions and factors influencing the behavior of teens is critical in HIV and AIDS prevention. A structured 39-item questionnaire was designed to elicit answers that explored 4 areas: knowledge of HIV and AIDS, reported sexual behavior, perceived susceptibility to HIV, and factors influencing behavior. The mean age of the 78 respondents was 15.9 years. One important finding was that 74% of respondents perceived their knowledge of HIV transmission to be "good," yet only 33% were able to answer all of the 8 test questions in this area correctly. In addition, 80% of those who reported engaging in risky behavior such as multiple sexual partners or having sex without condoms also felt they were not personally at risk for HIV.