Knowledge and Attitude Towards STDS and HIV/AIDS in Dalit Community (A Case Study of Aaginchok VDC, Dhading)

Abstract

HIV/AIDS has been threatening the human being since last two decades. It has also killed millions of human being and still the care for it is beyond the capacity of the modern medical science. At first, it is appeared in the United States and dramatically spread to Europe, America, Africa,Australia and Asia that colonized the whole world. STIs and HIV/AIDS have been the crucial public health problem in the world. In Africa, it is the major cause of death. Now a day, it has been rapidly increasing in the developing countries. It has also been great barrier for developing countries.Effort in all the aspects like prevention, counseling, advocacy and care have been made from an sectors like GOs, INGOs and many more international communities such as WHO, UNAIDS, Red–cross and OPEC. This study on knowledge and attitude of STDs and HIV/AIDS in Dalit Community in Aaginchok VDC, Dhading is carried out on the basic of primary data collected by using purposive random sampling in wardnumbers2 and 3 (Sarkigaun, Kamigaun, Damaigaun and Thamadada). The main objectives of this study is to assess the knowledge andattitude of STIs and HIV/AIDS in Dalit community. The sample populationtaken as 105 (57 males and 48 females) respondents from selectedhouseholds. All of them are Hindus, Damai were 31, Kami, 34 and Sarki, 40.There is no electricity facility at all in the study area. About 67 percent respondents have heard about STDs and 64 percenthave heard about HIV/AIDS. The major source of information about STDsis Radio (79.8 %). Only about 28 percent respondents said HIV and AIDS are different and nearly 68 percent respondents know about preventive measures of HIV/AIDS. Knowledge about STIs ad HIV/AIDS is appreciating, however,they have confusion on symptoms, mode of transmission and preventive measure. In the part of behaviour on sexuality and condom use, nearly 22percent male respondents have used condom during intersexual period. The main purpose of contraceptives use is family planning. The high level of education reflects the high knowledge of STIs and HIV/AIDS. The low knowledge about STIs and HIV/AIDS and practices of premarital sex among youth without condom may cause high risk of STIs and HIV/AIDS.