AIDS AWARENESS AMONG A COHORT OF YOUNG THAI MEN - EXPOSURE TO INFORMATION, LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE, AND PERCEPTION OF RISK

Structured interviews and focus group discussions were conducted among 834 young Thai men drafted into military service by random lottery in northern Thailand. Level of AIDS risk, exposure to AIDS information, level of knowledge about AIDS, and perception of risk for acquiring HI V and AIDS were assessed at baseline and six months after induction in to the Army in 1991. General fear of AIDS was high, yet personal perce ption of risk for acquiring HIV was low, even for those at enhanced be havioural risk of infection with HIV. Multivariate PATH analysis shows that exposure to information about AIDS significantly reduced risk ta king from baseline to follow-up, but only by first affecting personal risk perception. Focus group discussions revealed that risk perception for acquiring AIDS was low due to never knowing a person with AIDS, b ecause prostitutes had health certificates for STD, and since many bel ieved that AIDS could be cured or prevented with folk medicines. Impli cations and recommendations for intervention programmes are discussed.