Shallow understanding of HIV

Everyday 19 Malaysians are infected with the HIV virus and the Government has spent millions of ringgit raising awareness on the disease.
But most people have a shallow knowledge of the disease, a survey on behavioural risks that could lead to HIV infection shows. About 18,805 people aged 15 and above were polled last year by Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Following are some of the findings:

Sixty per cent of respondents believed or were unsure whether a mosquito bite could give them the virus.
Interestingly, 40 per cent of those surveyed said a healthy-looking person, a beautiful woman or a handsome man could not be infected with the virus.
The lack of awareness is surprising considering wall-to-wall media coverage, government activities and effort by non-governmental organisations to highlight the threat of AIDS.

This level of ignorance is more so disturbing because the World Health Organisation recently said Malaysia could have an epidemic on its hands.
Associate Professor Dr Lekhraj Rampal of Universiti Putra Malaysia said he found the survey findings surprising.
"We say we are spreading the awareness message but it is not reflected on the ground," he said.
The study was funded by the Intensification of Research in Priority Areas, under the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry.
It also showed that 48 per cent of those surveyed did not know whether a HIV-positive woman could transmit the virus while breast-feeding her baby.
Also, 56 per cent of respondents said HIV could spread through sharing of meals while 20 per cent said they did not know.
"Although it was heartening to know that 92 per cent of the people polled knew the definition of HIV, it is more important to know how it is transmitted," he said.
Someone who comes face to face with ignorance daily is Dr Kamarul Azahar Mohd Razali, a consultant at Kuala Lumpur Hospital’s Institute of Paediatrics.
He said many teenagers do not realise that the virus could be transmitted through unprotected sex, breast feeding.
Nor do Malaysians realise that if someone who is HIV positive consumes marijuana or heroin, the virus multiplies by 200 times.
Dr Kamarul said he believed that sex education should be taught to children.
"It is not about glorifying the act but teaching them about the anatomy and the responsibility associated with sex."
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