Survey on knowledge about AIDS among high school and university students

A middle - and high - school student population of the Marches region was sampled to assess thei knowledge about AIDS. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to 2801 students. Elaboration of the data obtained showed that to a great extent knowledge is conditioned by the mass media, whereas frank talks with family and frinds are relatively rare. The need is thus seen for information from authoritative and more higly qualified sources. In addition, the results revealed a certain amount of confuzion regarding the meaning and danger of being seropositive: 18.3% of those interviewed did not consider that infected subjects with no evident signs of disease were dangerous. Information about the availability of drugs nd vaccines also appeared scanty; in fact, 35% believed in the existence of drugs which could lead to a complete cure, and 12.3% in thath of a commercially available vaccine against AIDS. Another fact to emerge was the confusion between "donation" and "transfusion" of blood: 46% of the sample thought that voluntary donation could represent a risk of infection. The authors emphasize the need to go deeper into the biological and scientific aspects of the problem by means of an efficient information service, wich more prominence being given to talks between specialized personnel and young people af all ages and social standing.