HIV AIDS KNOWLEDGE AND HIGH-RISK SEXUAL PRACTICES AMONG SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VIETNAMESE

Objectives - Vietnamese immigration to the US since the conclusion of the Vietnam War has been substantial and in Orange COunty, CA, Vietnam ese Americans comprise 3% of the population (the largest community in the US). Our objective was to collect data on the HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and self-reported high risk behaviors within this community. Methods - A survey instrument was administered anonymously in Vietnam ese to 532 respondents in their homes. Individuals from three populati on strata were randomly sampled: men 36 to 45 years old (N=193); men 3 6 to 45 years old (N=137); and women 18 to 35 years old (N=202). Data were gathered on: (1) degree of acculturation; (2) knowledge and attit udes towards HIV/AIDS; and (3) self-reported sexual and other high-ris k practices. Results - Survey data indicated that 38% of respondents w ere very worried about a family member getting AIDS. Knowledge about a ctual modes of HIV transmission was generally accurate, but a substant ial minority still believed that HIV can be transmitted through casual contact, and 68% from needles used in hospitals. Women demonstrated l ess accurate knowledge than men on five key items. Quarantine of the H IV infected was agreed to by 45%. Twenty-nine percent did not believe that the epidemic would affect them personally, and 49% stated that th ey did not have enough information about AIDS to protect themselves. R egarding sexual practices, 31% reported never having sex. Of the other s, 8% had two or more sexual partners in the prior 12 months. No same sex behaviour was reported. Six percent of the men had visited a femal e prostitute; of these, 24% had visited 2 or more in the prior 12 mont hs; half of the encounters in this time were outside the US. Substanti al percentages of sexually active, unmarried respondents indicated tha t they sometimes never use (17-40%) or only sometimes (10-32%) condoms . Less than 1% had used injection drugs. Conclusions - Education shoul d be targeted at the Vietnamese community of southern California to im prove knowledge that HIV cannot be contracted through casual contact, to convey information about methods for self-protection, and to reduce high risk sexual practices such as unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners and sex with prostitutes.