Mass Media as a Source of Knowledge on HIV/AIDS

Vulnerable groups (commercial sex workers, truck drivers, truck helpers, daily laborers, rickshaw pullers and drug users) were studied on HIV/AIDS information at Dhaka city and surrounding areas. Mass media was correlated in this research with knowledge on HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention (r = 0.22, p<0.05). Majority of respondents had radio (74%) and television (63.3%). 72.5% respondent never read newspaper and 55% never watch billboard but 31.7% watch television everyday. 95% respondents heard about the name of HIV/AIDS but none of them knew the full meaning of HIV or AIDS, and 87% knew that HIV transmits through unsafe sexual contact, 69.2% through using HIV contaminated blood and 24.2% knew that HIV transmits through contaminated syringe/needles. For sign symptom of HIV/AIDS, 25.8% considered long time cough, 23.3% long time fever, 19.2% long time diarrhoea and 15% rapid loss of body weight. Fifty percent respondents knew that using condom could prevent HIV. About 70% responded reported that they used condom during sex. Television was the main source (78.3%) of information on HIV/AIDS and mode of spread (93.3%) of HIV/AIDS was main type of information on mass media.

Dr Hasina Banu MSc MPH PhD, is working as parasitologist, public health scientist and faculty in national,international research organizations and teaching institutes in Bangladesh. One of her book has been published by LAMBERT Academic Publishing. She has a lot of scientific publications in reputed journals.