“I Actually Don’t Know What HIV Is”: A Mixed Methods Analysis of College Students’ HIV Literacy
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methods
2.1. Study Design
2.2. Sample and Data Collection
2.3. Data Analysis
2.4. Results
3. HIV General and Prevention Knowledge
“I actually don’t know what HIV is.”
“I don’t know exactly what it is, but I know that it’s a transmitted disease that you get.”
“Just use condoms and get tested frequently and be clean.”
“[I know] very little [about HIV prevention], I know about regular things like contraceptives. Like using condoms to prevent getting HIV.”
“Contraceptives, right? Is that what condoms are called?”
3.1. Attitude and Social Norms
“Having an immense amount of sex partners and not cleaning yourself after”.
“…not cleaning the condom before taking if off.”
“One-night stands.”
“When you just meet someone and just end up sleeping with them.”
“..it also speaks negatively about the person that they are irresponsible or that they sleep around.”
“...as far as my social cultural goes I think that HIV is perceived as not only this very negative thing.”
“I just think they see it as something negative it’s not something to be happy about and they look down on it.”
“It’s a very victim type blaming thing so it like people who have HIV brought upon themselves because they were irresponsible in their sexual habits.”
3.2. Perceived Severity
“I really don’t know what the actually difference is all I know is that HIV leads to AIDS.”
“Like once you have HIV you’re going to get AIDS and you’re going to die.”
“It means that you can take antibiotics and it will go away.”
“Like I don’t know the HIV symptoms but if I notice a bump down there or like if you see certain things that don’t belong there it’s like ok somethings wrong with me let me go get tested.”
3.3. Perceived Susceptibility
“You just have to keep worrying about it.”
“I think that it just effects your daily routines.”
“[HIV] can be transmitted sexually or by cuts or anything like that.”
“So, if you get a cut then and anyone who has HIV get a cut then can I get it?”
“Like with anti-bacterial soap or stuff like that or not cleaning the condom before.”
3.4. Self-Efficacy
4. Discussion
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Question | Answer Options | Round 1 Percent (%) | Round 2 Percent (%) |
---|---|---|---|
Knowledge on HIV and prevention | |||
What does the acronym HIV stand for? | Don’t Know | 15.0% | |
Human Immobilization Virus | 17.0% | ||
Human Immunodeficiency Virus | 63.4% | ||
Hemoglobin Insufficiency Virus | 4.6% | ||
What does HIV do to the body once it is in the blood stream? | Don’t Know | 19.1% | |
Attacks T-helper cells | 30.3% | ||
Attacks red blood cells | 48.7% | ||
Attacks non-ciliated epithelial cells | 2.0% | ||
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. | True | 89.0% | |
False | 11.0% | ||
Taking a test for HIV one week after having sex will tell a person if she or he has HIV. | Missing | 0.4% | |
True | 36.5% | ||
False | 63.1% | ||
Which of the following is a preventative measure from HIV transmission? | Don’t know | 16.4% | |
Using latex condoms in combination with PREP when engaging in sexual intercourse | 75.7% | ||
Using lambskin condoms when engaging in sexual intercourse | 4.6% | ||
Using only birth control when engaging in sexual intercourse | 3.3% | ||
Don’t know | 22.2% | ||
Latex condoms are more effective than natural skin condoms in preventing HIV. | Missing | 0.4% | |
True | 61.3% | ||
False | 38.3% | ||
PReP can prevent HIV if taken daily. | Don’t know | 68.0% | |
True | 22.2% | ||
False | 9.8% | ||
PReP can cure HIV if taken daily. | Don’t know | 52.9% | |
True | 2.6% | ||
False | 44.4% | ||
A HIV positive person can be on PReP. | Don’t know | 70.6% | |
True | 19.6% | ||
False | 9.8% | ||
PReP is only for people who are known to be HIV negative. | Don’t know | 67.3% | |
True | 11.1% | ||
False | 21.6% |
Question | Answer Options | Round 1 Percent (%) | Round 2 Percent (%) |
---|---|---|---|
Attitude | |||
People who get HIV are more promiscuous than those who get other STIs. | Don’t know | 32.2% | |
True | 20.4% | ||
False | 47.4% | ||
It is easier to get HIV than other STIs. | Don’t know | 50.3% | |
True | 14.4% | ||
False | 35.3% |
Question | Answer Options | Round 1 Percent (%) | Round 2 Percent (%) |
---|---|---|---|
Perceived Severity | |||
There is a cure for AIDS. | Missing | 0.4% | |
True | 9.6% | ||
False | 90.1% | ||
AIDS is a medical condition in which your body cannot fight off diseases. | True | 89.0% | |
False | 11.0% | ||
A person who is HIV-positive has AIDS. | True | 38.7% | |
False | 61.3% | ||
People who have been infected with HIV quickly show serious signs of being infected. | True | 11.7% | |
False | 88.3% |
Question | Answer Options | Round 1 Percent (%) | Round 2 Percent (%) |
---|---|---|---|
Perceived Susceptibility | |||
There is a vaccine that can stop adults from getting HIV. | True | 14.5% | |
False | 85.5% | ||
A person can get HIV from a toilet seat. | Don’t know | 22.9% | |
True | 25.5% | ||
False | 51.6% | ||
A person can get HIV from sharing needles. | Don’t know | 9.2% | |
True | 88.8% | ||
False | 2.0% | ||
Kissing can spread HIV. | True | 24.5% | |
False | 75.5% | ||
A person can get HIV from touching and kissing. | Don’t know | 15.0% | |
True | 21.6% | ||
False | 63.4% | ||
HIV can only be transmitted sexually. | Don’t know | 10.5% | |
True | 9.2% | ||
False | 80.4% | ||
Which of the following is considered modes of transmission for HIV? | Don’t know | 7.8% | |
Blood, semen/precum, breastmilk, saliva | 25.5% | ||
semen/precum, nasal secretions, breast milk, blood | 6.5% | ||
vaginal secretions, blood, semen/precum, breast milk | 60.1% | ||
A woman can pass HIV to her baby during childbirth | Don’t know | 12.4% | |
True | 75.8% | ||
False | 11.8% | ||
A woman cannot get HIV if she has sex during her period | True | 4.3% | |
False | 95.7% | ||
Having oral sex instead of sexual intercourse prevents HIV | True | 5.0% | |
False | 95.0% | ||
Having anal sex instead of sexual intercourse prevents HIV | True | 3.9% | |
False | 96.1% | ||
A person with HIV can spread it to others even before they get AIDS | True | 88.3% | |
False | 11.7% | ||
Having another sexually transmitted infection can increase a person risk of getting HIV | True | 71.6% | |
False | 28.4% | ||
Using alcohol or drugs before or during sex can increase a person’s risk of getting HIV | True | 40.4% | |
False | 59.6% | ||
A person can get HIV by sitting in a hot tub or a swimming pool with a person who has HIV | True | 13.8% | |
False | 86.2% | ||
A mother who is HIV-positive can infect her child through breast milk | Missing | 0.4% | |
True | 77.0% | ||
False | 22.7% | ||
All pregnant women infected with HIV will have babies born with AIDS | True | 23.0% | |
False | 77.0% |
Question | Answer Options | Round 1 Percent (%) | Round 2 Percent (%) |
---|---|---|---|
Self-Efficacy | |||
I am confident in my knowledge of HIV | Strongly agree | 6.6% | |
Agree | 36.8% | ||
Disagree | 40.1% | ||
Strongly disagree | 16.4% | ||
I am confident in my knowledge of PrEP | Strongly agree | 2.0% | |
Agree | 7.9% | ||
Disagree | 41.4% | ||
Strongly disagree | 48.7% | ||
I am confident in my ability to prevent HIV infection | Strongly agree | 38.8% | |
Agree | 41.4% | ||
Disagree | 14.5% | ||
Strongly disagree | 5.3% | ||
I am confident in my ability to distinguish between the high, low, and no’s of HIV risk | Strongly agree | 21.7% | |
Agree | 36.8% | ||
Disagree | 25.7% | ||
Strongly disagree | 15.8% |
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Share and Cite
Avina, R.M.; Mullen, M.; Mshigeni, S.; Becerra, M.B. “I Actually Don’t Know What HIV Is”: A Mixed Methods Analysis of College Students’ HIV Literacy. Diseases 2020, 8, 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases8010001
Avina RM, Mullen M, Mshigeni S, Becerra MB. “I Actually Don’t Know What HIV Is”: A Mixed Methods Analysis of College Students’ HIV Literacy. Diseases. 2020; 8(1):1. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases8010001
Chicago/Turabian StyleAvina, Robert M., Mathew Mullen, Salome Mshigeni, and Monideepa B. Becerra. 2020. "“I Actually Don’t Know What HIV Is”: A Mixed Methods Analysis of College Students’ HIV Literacy" Diseases 8, no. 1: 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases8010001