Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicator Survey ... - Measure DHS

YOUTH AND HIV/AIDS 88.1 INTRODUCTIONThis chapter addresses sexual behaviour among women and men age 15-24. HIV is mainlytransmitted through sexual contact and is influenced by risky behaviour. Special attention is paid tothis age group because it accounts for half of all new infections worldwide.Findings on issues such as HIV/AIDS-related knowledge among youths, abstinence, age atfirst sex, and age differences between partners are covered in this chapter. In addition, sex associatedwith alcohol use, knowledge of sources of condoms, and condom use at first sex are also presented.Condom use plays an important role in the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmittedinfections.8.2 HIV/AIDS-RELATED KNOWLEDGE AMONG YOUTHCorrect knowledge of how HIV is transmitted enables people to protect themselves fromcontracting the virus. Avoiding HIV is critically important for youth, who are often at greater riskbecause they may have multiple partners or engage in more risky sexual behaviours. In the 2007-08THMIS, young respondents were asked the same set of questions on knowledge and beliefs aboutHIV transmission as older respondents.Data in Table 8.1 show the level of comprehensive knowledge among youth, namely, theproportion who, in response to a prompted question, agree that people can reduce their chances ofgetting the HIV infection by having sex with only one uninfected, faithful partner and by usingcondoms consistently; who know that a healthy-looking person can have HIV; and who know thatHIV cannot be transmitted by mosquito bites or by sharing food with a person who has AIDS.Thirty-nine percent of women age 15-24, and 42 percent of men age 15-24 in Tanzania havecomprehensive knowledge about AIDS. This knowledge is higher among youth in urban areas than inrural areas. The knowledge increases with increasing level of education and wealth quintile. Forexample, 21 percent of women with no education have comprehensive knowledge about AIDScompared with 59 percent of women with secondary or higher education.Across the country, comprehensive knowledge of AIDS for women is highest in the Eastern,Northern and Southern zones (45 percent or higher), while for men the knowledge is highest in theSouthern, Eastern, and Central zones (also above 45 percent). On the other hand, young women inRukwa and young men in Iringa have the lowest levels of comprehensive knowledge about AIDS inTanzania Mainland (16 and 28 percent, respectively).Knowledge of a source for condoms is higher among young men than young women (77 and59 percent, respectively). In general, knowledge of a condom source increases with age, educationlevel, and wealth status. For example, 48 percent of women with no education know where to obtaincondoms compared with 70 percent of women with secondary or higher education (Figure 8.1).Knowledge of a condom source is highest in Dar es Salaam and other urban areas, and it is higher inMainland Tanzania than in Zanzibar. For women age 15-24, 61 percent in Mainland Tanzania knowwhere to obtain condoms compared with 17 percent in Zanzibar.Youth and HIV/AIDS | 93