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

6.3 ATTITUDES OF ADULTS TOWARDS EDUCATING CHILDREN ABOUT CONDOM USE TOPREVENT AIDSEducating youths about condom use can be controversial, with some saying it promotes earlysexual experimentation, despite the fact that condom use has long been one of the main strategies forcombating the spread of sexually transmitted infections including HIV. To assess attitudes towardscondom education, THMIS 2007-08 respondents were asked if they thought that children age 12-14years should be taught about using a condom to avoid HIV. Results are shown in Table 6.3. Althoughall respondents age 15-49 were asked the question—because the aim was to ascertain adult opinion—results were tabulated only for respondents age 18-49.The data in Table 6.3 indicate that about six in ten women and men age 18-49 years agree thatchildren 12-14 years should be taught about using a condom to avoid HIV infection, with menshowing higher approval (64 percent) than women (58 percent). Across age groups, younger womenare more likely to approve of teaching children about condom use than older women, while for men,there is no such age difference. Interestingly, while urban women are more likely than rural women toapprove of condom use education for youth, the reverse is true for men. However, there is asubstantial difference of opinion between Mainland and Zanzibar, with 59 percent of women and 65percent of men in Mainland Tanzania supporting condom use education for youth, compared withonly 22 percent of women and 33 percent of men in Zanzibar. A positive correlation exists betweenthe approval of teaching children about using condoms and wealth quintile among women, but notamong men.70 | Attitudes Relating to HIV/AIDS