AIDS-RELATED KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES IN MIGRANT POPULATIONS - THE CASE OF MONTREALERS OF HAITIAN ORIGIN

The objectives of the study were to determine knowledge levels regardi ng AIDS and its modes of transmission, and to describe sexual behaviou r of Montrealers of Haitian origin. A serial cross-sectional study was conducted in three phases between 1987 and 1990. A questionnair was a dministered in a face-to-face interview with the exception of the sect ion concerning sexual practices which was self-administered for those respondents who were literate in French. The study was conducted among 775 men and women residing in the metropolitan Montreal region. These individuals were aged 15 to 39, were born in Haiti or had at least on e parent born in Haiti. Knowledge levels were high except for misconce ptions about HIV transmission through casual contact and mosquito bite s. There was a significant association between high risk sexual behavi our and marital status with the odds of having had multiple partners s ignificantly raised for previously married individuals (OR = 5.96, 95 % CI = 3.09 ; 11.50). High risk behaviour was also associated with bei ng under 25 years of age (OR = 2.83, 95 % CI = 1.40 ; 5.74), knowing s omeone with HIV/AIDS (OR = 1.88, 95 % CI = 1.05 ; 3.37), being male (O R = 6.81, 95 % CI = 3.99 ; 11.60) and earlier year of interview. Montr ealers of Haitian origin, with their specific AIDS-related socio-cultu ral characteristics, constitute a community which is intermediate betw een their country of origin, Haiti, and their host country, Canada.