Abstract

Background: Inadequate knowledge, negative attitude, and risky practices are major hindrances to preventing the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Objective: This study aimed to assess knowledge and attitude among late adolescents (boys and girls) 16-19 years old toward HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study on unmarried adolescents (boys and girls) 16-19 years old toward HIV/AIDS was conducted in 2014 to evaluate their knowledge and attitude. Data were collected by self-filled questionnaire. We selected 400 adolescents (divided into 200 boys and 200 girls) through random sampling from different shopping malls in one province of Al-Khobar Saudi Arabia.

Results: The majority of adolescents (39.2%) have heard about HIV through the media, but 11% answered that they never heard about it. Constituting a small percentage of male and female participants did first heard about HIV in the school. The majority of respondents think that 1/100 of people in their area is infected with HIV. Most of the participants know that HIV is a virus but 13.0% do not know. Nearly half of the adolescents do not know that “the immune system is the main system that gets the infection by HIV.” More than 60% of the adolescents do not like to test themselves for HIV if they are at high risk, and would avoid any contact with an HIV infected patient.

Conclusions: We found lack of knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS, its transmission and means of preventing it among adolescents. Negative attitudes to HIV/AIDS and risky practices were also present. Educational programs with specific interventions are recommended to increase knowledge and attitude practices and to prevent new HIV infections among adolescents in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

Key words: Knowledge; Attitude; Late Adolescents; Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; Saudi Arabia