Knowledge, Perceptions and Attitudes…Regarding HIV/AIDS Banerjee & Mattle Knowledge, Perceptions and Attitudes of Youths in India Regarding HIV/AIDS: A Review of Current Literature

English: The HIV/AIDS pandemic is steadily increasing in severity throughout the developing world. Recently, Southeast Asia has become a rising concern for health care professionals in the field of infectious disease (UNAIDS, 2004). Most of Southeast Asia is experiencing surging prevalence and incidence rates of HIV infection. One particular country of interest is India. India’s population has surpassed one billion, making it the world’s second most populated country. India’s large population exacerbates the problematic scenario of HIV sero-prevalence rates that are increasing throughout the country and region (De Cock & Weiss, 2000; Rao, et al, 2004; UNAIDS, 2004). Youths in India lack knowledge about HIV and also have misconceptions about modalities of transmission, and many harbor negative attitudes towards those who test positive for HIV. In order to decrease transmission rates among youth, quality HIV/AIDS education must be implemented in a culturally relevant manner. The aim of this review of literature is to provide a synoptic view of the HIV/AIDS problem in India, focusing on the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of the country’s youth. Spanish: El HIV/AIDS pandemic es constantemente aumentando de severidad a través del mundo que s