title: Knowledge and risk behaviors of people seeking HIV antibody testing at a community site.
abstract: People seeking HIV antibody testing at a community-based AIDS service organization (N = 342) were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire to determine knowledge of HIV transmission, source(s) of HIV-related knowledge, and recent risk behaviors. The overall knowledge level of risk for transmitting HIV associated with 16 related behaviors was relatively high. Yet, 69% of the participants reported engaging in unsafe sex during the previous six months. Poorly informed subjects tended to overestimate their level of knowledge. In a multiple regression analysis, knowledge, age, and gender were the only significantly predictors of engaging in unsafe sex in this cohort. Nurses must be on the forefront in developing (1) strategies to reach people at high risk for HIV infection and HIV transmission, (2) culturally relevant and sensitive education, and (3) interventions that will enable people to make appropriate choices concerning high-risk behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Administrative and Clinical Nursing, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Sowell
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Seals
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003153:Community Health Services; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies