Awareness Of HIV/AIDS In A Remotely Located Conservative District Of J&K (Kargil) :Results Of A Community Based Study

Abstract

Research question : 1. What is the level of awareness regarding various aspects of HIV/AIDS amongst adults aged 15-45 years in Kargil district of J&K. 2. What are the implications of the results for the health provides. Objectives: To find out deficiencies in the awareness status of a very conservative remotely located Muslim community inhabiting the most backward district of the J& K state. Study design: Cross- sectional. Settings: In the randomly selected 955 households covering 20% of rural and 10% urban population of the 3 most populous health blocks of the district. Participants : 15- 45 years old family members, generally males. Outcome variables : Proportion of the surveyed population having correct knowledge about various aspects of HIV/AIDS in the absence of any organized IEC intervention. Results: Revealed a low overall awareness about HIV/AIDS with majority of respondents having no or false perceptions. Conclusion: Study highlights an urgent need for IEC campaigns to sensitize different sections of population on various aspects of HIV/AIDS appropriate to an orthodox Muslim society.