title: HIV/AIDS knowledge scores and perceptions of risk among African American students attending historically black colleges and universities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  African American young adults are disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and often unaware of their personal risk for HIV. Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) enroll 25% of college-educated African American young adults and can play an important role in HIV prevention. We examined HIV/AIDS knowledge of students at HBCUs to inform and strengthen our HIV prevention efforts at HBCUs.
  
  
  METHODS
  African American undergraduate HBCU students completed online surveys assessing HIV/AIDS knowledge and behaviors, and we analyzed data to assess their knowledge and behaviors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1,051 of 1,230 surveys completed (85.4%) were analyzable. Eighty-two percent of students had average/high HIV knowledge scores. Seventy-nine percent of students surveyed perceived themselves to be at low risk for HIV infection; 64% of those who had at least two or more sex partners had not used a condom at last sex encounter. In the final model, significant independent effects were identified for average/high knowledge of HIV risk, including agreeing with assessing a potential partner's HIV risk by all of the five actions listed (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7, 4.3) and never using a needle to inject drugs (AOR=5.6, 95% CI 3.2, 9.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Educating students about effectively assessing sex partner risk will improve HIV knowledge and prevention efforts at HBCUs.
authors: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. zxa3@cdc.gov
authors: Madeline Y
authors: MY
authors: Sutton
authors: Felicia P
authors: FP
authors: Hardnett
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Wright
authors: Sagina
authors: S
authors: Wahi
authors: Sonal
authors: S
authors: Pathak
authors: Lari
authors: L
authors: Warren-Jeanpiere
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Jones
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult