Knowledge Level about HIV/AIDS among the Villagers of Comilla District, Bangladesh

Abstract

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has grown on an unprecedented scale since it was first recognized, and presently it is considered as a well known global public health crisis. In making the health policy where millions of populations are at risk, it is necessary to understand the knowledge level about HIV/AIDS. So, this study aimed at to investigate the knowledge level about HIV/AIDS among the villagers. Data and necessary information were collected from one hundred villagers of Salmanpur from Comilla district, Bangladesh through a structured questionnaire. The collected data were used for univariate analysis, to carry out the description of the variables; and to justify the total score of knowledge about HIV/AIDS among the respondents, Cronbach’s alpha (α) was calculated. The results revealed that almost all the respondents (92.00%) were ever heard about HIV/AIDS and half of them (51.00%) were known it as a communicable disease. Majority of the respondents (62.00%) believed that it is caused by heterosexual relation as well as sex with HIV positive persons. However, a good number of respondents were found unaware about the major causes and preventive ways of AIDS. Less than half of the respondents (45.00%) had medium knowledge (α = 0.34 - 0.66) and only 36.00% had the enough knowledge about HIV/AIDS. The knowledge level is increasing with the increase of education level, and the respondents who involved in agricultural works are found the lowest knowledge level (47.00%) about HIV/AIDS. The villagers were known about HIV/AIDS but they do not have accurate information about the ways in which AIDS virus can or cannot be transmitted. Therefore, effective programs should be taken to increase the knowledge level about HIV/AIDS among the villagers in Bangladesh.