NMICS 2010 Report - Central Bureau of Statistics

XI.HIV and AIDSKnowledge about HIV transmission and misconceptions about HIV/AIDSOne of the most important prerequisites for reducing the rate of HIV infection is accurate knowledgeof how HIV is transmitted and strategies for preventing transmission. Correct information is the firststep toward raising awareness and giving young people the tools to protect themselves frominfection. Misconceptions about HIV are common, and can confuse young people and hinderprevention efforts. Different regions are likely to have variations in misconceptions, although someappear to be universal (e.g., that sharing food or being bitten by a mosquito can transmit HIV). TheUN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS) called on governments to improve theknowledge and skills of young people to protect themselves from HIV. The indicators to measure thisgoal as well as the MDG of halving HIV infections between 1990 and 2015 include improving thelevel of knowledge of HIV and its prevention, and changing behaviours to prevent further spread ofthe disease. The HIV module for the NMICS 2010 was administered to women aged 15–49 years.One common indicator both for the MDGs and UNGASS is the percentage of young women whohave comprehensive and correct knowledge of HIV prevention and transmission. In this survey, allwomen who had heard of AIDS were asked whether they knew of two main ways of preventing HIVtransmission—having only one faithful, uninfected sexual partner, and using a condom every time.Results are presented in Table HA.1. Slightly more than half (56 percent) of women aged 15–49years in the MFWR had heard of AIDS. However, only 40 percent knew of two main ways to preventHIV transmission: 48 percent knew of having one faithful, uninfected sexual partner and 43 percentknew of using a condom for sex every time.Comprehensive knowledge about HIV prevention includes knowing two main ways of preventing HIVtransmission, knowing that a healthy looking person can have the AIDS virus, and rejecting the twoof the most common misconceptions about HIV transmission. Table HA.1 presents the findings oncomprehensive knowledge about HIV transmission. Slightly more than one fifth (22 percent) ofwomen aged 15–49 years in the MFWR had comprehensive knowledge of HIV transmission. Some 42percent knew that a healthy looking person can have the AIDS virus; 35 percent knew that HIVcannot be transmitted by mosquito bites; 49 percent knew that HIV cannot be transmitted bysupernatural means; 41 percent knew that HIV cannot be transmitted by sharing food with someonewith AIDS. In total, 25 percent rejected two of the most common misconceptions about HIVtransmission and knew that a healthy looking person can have the AIDS virus.There was little variation on comprehensive knowledge about HIV prevention by region. However,subregional variation was greater, with the highest percentage of women with comprehensiveknowledge in the Far Western Terai (26 percent) and lowest percentage in the Far WesternMountains (nine percent). Urban women (34 percent) were more likely than rural women (20percent) to have comprehensive knowledge. Younger women were more likely than older women tohave comprehensive knowledge: 34 percent for women aged 15–24 years compared to sevenpercent for women aged 40–49 years. Women who had ever been married or in a marital union (17percent) were less likely than women who had never been married or in a marital union (43 percent)to have comprehensive knowledge. Education level and household wealth status influencedcomprehensive knowledge. Women with no education (nine percent) were much less likely thanwomen with at least secondary education (49 percent) to have comprehensive knowledge. Womenfrom the poorest quintile (nine percent) were much less likely than women from the richest quintile(44 percent) to have comprehensive knowledge.165