title: Knowledge and Attitudes about HIV/AIDS in Illegal Residents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the knowledge, attitudes, and practices with regard to human immunodeficiency virus infection / acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in illegal residents, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire study was conducted among the illegal residents from four regions in Saudi Arabia: Jeddah, Makkah, Riyadh, and Jazan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survey enrolled 5,000 participants, 79%male (39.6% from Jeddah; 20% from Riyadh; and 20% from Jazan), aged between 15 and 45 years. Of the total, 1288 (25.8%) had not heard about HIV/AIDS. Knowledge of HIV transmission was poor in 90% of the respondents. Of the total, 737 had read about HIV/AIDS materials and 649 participants had been previously tested for HIV. The majority of participants (85%) held a negative attitude toward people living with HIV/AIDS. Those who were knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS expressed more a positive attitude. One-fifth (968, majority were men; single 55%, married 45%) had engaged in non-marital sexual activity. The largest proportion of the individuals who had engaged in non-marital sex were single (54.9%) followed by the married ones (40.4%). Men cited pleasure as the main reason for such activity (84.6%), whereas women (73.4%) cited financial gain. Of the respondents, 53.9 and 32.1% believed that TV and schools were the best media through which information with regard to HIV/AIDS could be imparted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge of HIV/AIDS, its mode of transmission, and prevention measures was poor. Educational programs specifically targeted toward this group were required.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ; College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ziad A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Memish
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sanaa M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Filemban
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sabirah N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Kasule
authors.affiliation: Speciality Mediicne, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia ; Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Jaffar A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Al-Tawfiq
keywords: Attitudes; HIV; Saudi Arabia; illegal residents; knowledge; practice; prevalence