Trends in Clinical and Medical Sciences

Awareness about HIV/AIDS amongst urban deaf adolescents and comparing it with normal adolescent population

Ashlesha Ashok Tawde\(^{1,*}\) and Prasad Waingankar\(^{1}\)
\(^{1}\) Department of Community Medicine, MGM Medical College, Sector 1, Kamothe, Navi Mumbai-410209, Maharashtra, India.
Correspondence should be addressed to Ashlesha Ashok Tawde at ashlesha.t@gmail.com

Abstract

Background: Among the greatest risk factors affecting deaf people is a general lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and its prevention. Studies found that deaf people are frequently unaware of or are misinformed about how AIDS is transmitted, how it can be prevented and who can get it.
Aims and Objectives: To study awareness about HIV/ AIDS amongst Urban deaf Adolescents and comparing it with normal Adolescent population.
Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study among the deaf adolescents and normal adolescents with respect to HIV/ AIDS amongst Urban population during the one month period i.e. March 2017. adolescents (10-19 Yrs.) students in the schools for Deaf selected randomly 100 and in the Normal adolescents students selected randomly 100 of a urban area were taken into the study. All the students with the written explained consent were undergone a semi-structured written questionnaire regarding the modes and prevention of HIV / AIDS was asked, there responses were noted, tabulated in the excel sheets and analyzed by SPSS 19 version software.
Result: The significantly lower awareness with respect to the modes of transmission like Mosquito bites (p<0.05), Sex in man to man (p<0.05), Kissing (p<0.05), Touching or hugging (p<0.05), Germs in the air (p<0.05), Unsterilized razors, HIV+ve mother to baby, Use of public toilets (p<0.05) respectively. There was significantly lower awareness regarding the prevention of HIV/AIDS was lower in Deaf adolescents e.g. Avoiding dirty places, Not hugging, Abstinence, Yoga and Meditation (p<0.05).
Conclusion: It can be concluded from our study that the deaf adolescent were significantly the knowledge and having misbelieves regarding HIV/ AIDS may be lack of education or lack communication and hence are at more risk of transmission than the general adolescent population.

Keywords:

HIV/AIDS; Deaf adolescents; Modes of transmission of HIV/AIDS; Prevention of HIV/ AIDS.