THE COUNTRY VERSUS THE CITY - DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN TERTIARY STUDENTS ON HIV AIDS KNOWLEDGE, BELIEFS AND ATTITUDES

This paper examines whether students at two tertiary institutions, sit uated in very different geographical locations (rural versus urban), d iffer on several AIDS-related issues. In 1989, a total of 1,727 studen ts were surveyed at Macquarie University and Northern Rivers College o f Advanced Education. The rural students were more sexually experience d than the city students. Although knowledge was generally high for al l students, the rural students had less accurate knowledge of HIV/AIDS , demonstrated greater endorsement of the social avoidance of 'risk-gr oups' and displayed less confidence in condoms in protecting them agai nst HIV infection. Sexual experience and age also emerged as important factors in predicting students HIV/AIDS related attitudes and beliefs . Understanding the social meanings of sexual relationships is an impo rtant factor in targeting safe sex messages appropriately and effectiv ely.