Malawi 2015-16

Table 13.2 Comprehensive knowledge about HIV
Percentage of women and men age 15-49 who say that a healthy-looking person can have HIV and who, in response to prompted
questions, correctly reject local misconceptions about transmission or prevention of HIV, and percentage with a comprehensive knowledge
about HIV, according to age, Malawi DHS 2015-16
Age
A healthy-looking
person can have
HIV
Percentage of respondents who say that:
HIV cannot be
transmitted by
mosquito bites
HIV cannot be
transmitted by
witchcraft or
other
supernatural
means
WOMEN
A person cannot
become infected
by sharing food
with a person
who has HIV
Percentage who
say that a
healthy looking
person can have
HIV and who
reject the two
most common
local
misconceptions 1
Percentage with
a comprehensive
knowledge about
HIV 2
Number of
respondents
15-24 82.0 74.6 84.8 88.0 57.9 41.1 10,422
15-19 78.8 75.1 84.2 87.7 56.4 38.9 5,263
20-24 85.3 74.0 85.5 88.4 59.5 43.3 5,159
25-29 87.8 74.1 85.4 89.2 60.8 45.0 3,953
30-39 88.6 71.1 83.1 88.9 58.3 44.6 6,592
40-49 85.4 65.0 79.4 87.5 51.2 38.1 3,596
Total 15-49 85.2 72.2 83.7 88.4 57.5 42.2 24,562
MEN
15-24 88.6 75.7 87.9 91.0 64.2 44.3 3,226
15-19 84.9 76.3 85.5 89.8 61.5 43.1 1,818
20-24 93.3 75.0 91.0 92.7 67.6 45.8 1,408
25-29 95.0 73.7 89.8 94.4 66.5 50.2 1,022
30-39 95.4 75.7 90.4 94.6 68.7 50.9 1,807
40-49 94.8 74.0 87.9 92.6 65.5 48.5 1,073
Total 15-49 92.2 75.1 88.8 92.6 65.9 47.5 7,128
50-54 94.7 63.0 85.4 93.9 56.0 43.1 350
Total 15-54 92.3 74.6 88.6 92.7 65.4 47.3 7,478
1
Two most common local misconceptions: HIV can be transmitted by mosquito bites and HIV can be transmitted by witchcraft or other
supernatural means.
2
Comprehensive knowledge means knowing that consistent use of condoms during sexual intercourse and having just one uninfected
faithful partner can reduce the chance of getting HIV, knowing that a healthy-looking person can have HIV, and rejecting the two most
common local misconceptions about AIDS transmission or prevention.
Table 13.3 Knowledge of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV
Percentage of women and men age 15-49 who know that HIV can be transmitted from mother to child during
pregnancy, during delivery, by breastfeeding, and by all three means, and percentage who know that the risk
of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV can be reduced by mother taking special drugs, according to
age, Malawi DHS 2015-16
Age
Percentage who know that HIV can be transmitted
from mother to child:
During
pregnancy
During delivery
By breastfeeding
WOMEN
By all three
means
Percentage
who know that
the risk of
MTCT can be
reduced by
mother taking
special drugs
Number of
respondents
15-24 71.9 75.0 84.5 63.8 76.3 10,422
15-19 66.4 68.1 79.6 56.8 67.8 5,263
20-24 77.4 82.0 89.6 70.9 84.9 5,159
25-29 80.7 86.6 90.2 75.6 89.0 3,953
30-39 79.0 86.1 88.7 73.4 88.0 6,592
40-49 76.1 81.2 84.7 69.8 81.8 3,596
Total 15-49 75.8 80.7 86.6 69.1 82.3 24,562
MEN
15-24 69.9 76.5 85.7 56.7 71.8 3,226
15-19 69.1 73.5 83.9 54.8 67.6 1,818
20-24 71.0 80.3 88.0 59.2 77.2 1,408
25-29 72.2 84.9 90.4 62.3 81.7 1,022
30-39 72.5 86.1 89.0 63.9 84.2 1,807
40-49 75.3 87.1 89.6 66.2 83.8 1,073
Total 15-49 71.7 81.7 87.8 60.8 78.1 7,128
50-54 74.7 85.3 87.2 66.0 79.9 350
Total 15-54 71.9 81.9 87.8 61.0 78.2 7,478
214 • HIV/AIDS-related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviour