National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) HIV/AIDS: Knowledge, Stigma, and Behaviour

NFHS-3, India, HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour Stigma and discrimination Sexual behaviour HIV testing Contents

NFHS-3, India, Knowledge of AIDS among Women and Men by Residence Percent of women and men age who have heard of AIDS

NFHS-3, India, Trends in AIDS Knowledge Percent of ever-married women age who have heard of AIDS

NFHS-3, India, AIDS Knowledge by State: Women

NFHS-3, India, AIDS Knowledge by State: Men

NFHS-3, India, Source of AIDS Knowledge among Women and Men Percent of women and men who received information from specific sources

NFHS-3, India, Knowledge of HIV Prevention Methods Percent of women and men age who know of HIV prevention methods

NFHS-3, India, What is Comprehensive Knowledge? Persons have comprehensive knowledge if they know: That using a condom and having just one uninfected partner limits the risk of getting AIDS AND That a healthy looking person can have AIDS AND Reject the two most common misconceptions about AIDS transmission (transmission by mosquito bites and by sharing food)

NFHS-3, India, Comprehensive Knowledge among Women and Men age Percent

NFHS-3, India, Most common misconceptions (that AIDS can be transmitted by mosquito bites, hugging, or sharing food with an HIV-positive person) Thirty one percent of women and 44 percent of men reject all three misconceptions. Less than two- fifths of women are aware that a healthy looking person can have HIV/AIDS. Adult men (37 percent) are over one and half times more likely than women (23 percent) to reject all the three misconceptions and know that a healthy looking person may have HIV/AIDS. Misconceptions are negatively associated with type of residence, education and wealth quintiles

NFHS-3, India, HIV/AIDS Awareness by State Percentage of women and men age NFHS-3,

NFHS-3, India,

Comprehensive Knowledge and Knowledge of a Condom Source among Youth

NFHS-3, India, HIV/AIDS Awareness Indicators Percent of women and men age 15-49

NFHS-3, India, Comprehensive Knowledge among Youth Percent of women and men age with comprehensive knowledge* about HIV/AIDS Percent of young people who : Know that using a condom and having just 1 uninfected partner limits the risk of getting AIDS; Know that a healthy looking person can have AIDS; Reject the 2 most common misconceptions about AIDS transmission (mosquitoes and sharing food)

NFHS-3, India, Comprehensive Knowledge about HIV/AIDS among Youth by State Percentage of women and men age 15-24

NFHS-3, India, Accepting Attitudes toward Those Living with HIV/AIDS Among those age who have heard of AIDS, percent who:

NFHS-3, India, Accepting Attitudes toward Those Living with HIV/AIDS by State Percent who express accepting attitudes on all four indicators

NFHS-3, India, Attitudes toward Negotiating Sex with Husband Percent of women and men age who believe that, if a husband has sexually transmitted disease his wife is justified in refusing to have sexual intercourse with him or (if men) asking that they use a condom

NFHS-3, India, Higher Risk Sex  1 of every 500 women and 5 in every 100 men have had 2 or more sexual partners in the past 12 months  Among never-married women age who had sexual intercourse in the last 12 months, 4 percent have had more than one partner and 51 percent have had higher-risk sex

NFHS-3, India, Higher Risk Sex (Contd.)  Among never married men age who reported sexual intercourse in the past 12 months, 18 percent have had more than one partner and 94 percent have had higher-risk sex  27% of never married women and 40% of never married men who had higher risk sex in the past 12 months used a condom the last time they had sex.

NFHS-3, India, Paid Sex and Condom Use by Men Men age 15-49

NFHS-3, India, Age at First Sexual Intercourse among Youth

NFHS-3, India, Condom Use at First Sexual Intercourse among Youth Women age Men age 15-24

Most Recent Sex and Condom Use  One in 100 never married young women and 12 % never married young men have ever had sex.  These percentages are 0.5% women and 7% men for the 12 months preceding the survey  37% of never married young men and 18% of never married young women used a condom the last time they had sex.  Urban residents, those with 12 or more complete years of education, and with regular exposure to media are more likely to use a condom during their most recent act of sex.

NFHS-3, India, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and STI Symptoms Percent of women and men age who have ever had sexual intercourse reporting having STIs and STI symptoms

NFHS-3, India, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and STI Symptoms by States Percent of women and men age who have ever had sexual intercourse, reporting having STIs and STI symptoms

Any HIV Testing Prior to NFHS-3  Only 3% of women and 4% of men in India have ever been tested for HIV  Women and men in urban areas are more likely to have been tested for their HIV status  There is little variation across states in percent tested.  Range: From 1% in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Meghalaya and a maximum of 14% among men in Goa  In Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Mizoram 5 ‑ 9% of both women and men have ever been tested  The percentage tested is higher among sexually active youth: 3 % than men 1 %

Priority Issues for NACP AIDS awareness has increased but still two-fifths of women have never heard of AIDS Low comprehensive awareness among women and men requires a strategic change in awareness programme A change in priorities is essential but the focus should continue on prevention and control Stigma and denial are major barriers to increasing coverage of HIV testing

NFHS-3, India, Photo: Relative Media