Objective: To determine the current knowledge and awareness of medical and engineering students regarding the Hepatitis-C infection, its treatment and complications.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was carried out amongst medical and engineering students from four different universities selected by convenient sampling method. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. The participants were asked to answer the questions as Yes, No and Dont know. Analysis of the data was carried out with SPSS version 20.
Results: A total of 561 students were registered in the study, out of which 269 were medical and 292 were engineering students. More than 95% of medical students were aware about routes of its transmission and treatment available. However, amongst engineering student, 87% knew that it is transmitted by blood transfusion while 72% knew that it is spread by intravenous drug abuse. Only 62% thought that it was spread by body piercing and tattooing. 49% of engineering students had the knowledge that it is spread by sexual contact. However, both medical and engineering students were not aware whether Hepatitis C could be transmitted from mother to new born or through breast feeding. Most of the medical students (95%) were well informed about its complications; on the contrary engineering students (40%) had poor information about it. All students had poor knowledge regarding vaccine against hepatitis C. Source of information in 90% of medical students was academics and in 9% it was from peers, while in non-medical students main source of information was social media (70%) and peers (24%). The difference between knowledge and awareness of medical and engineering students was statistically significant (P
Key words: Awareness, Medical and Engineering students, hepatitis-C, knowledge.
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