Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the students' knowledge of Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) transmission and prevention and their attitude toward HIV.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2024 to March 2025 at the University of Bisha in Saudi Arabia. A multistage cluster sampling method was used to select undergraduate students from the disciplines of humanities, business, engineering, and technology. A self-administered questionnaire comprising 19 items was developed to assess students' knowledge and attitude toward HIV/AIDS.
Results: Out of 422 students, 96.4% (214 male, 193 female) completed the questionnaire. The mean total knowledge score was 25.26 ± 3.62 out of 35. About 88% of students knew HIV/AIDS is transmitted sexually, and 75.7% believed it can spread through blood transfusion. However, 25% wrongly believed that there is a vaccine for HIV/AIDS. There were significant differences in knowledge by students' academic level (p-value=0.0001). More than half of students (54.3%) held negative attitude toward HIV/AIDS infection. Notably, 62% (n = 252) would avoid interacting with someone infected, and about 40% would not continue supporting a friend with HIV/AIDS. Additionally, 12.3% reported reusing the same syringe for medication. There were no significant differences in students' scores by gender (p-value=0.489), residency (p-value=0.233), or college type (p-value=0.106).
Conclusion: The study showed participants had good HIV/AIDS knowledge but flawed attitude. Education and awareness are effective strategies to reduce HIV/AIDS stigma.

Key words: HIV/AIDS, knowledge, attitude, undergraduate students, Saudi Arabia.