AIDS and sexual practices: knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and practices of health professionals in the People's Republic of China.

68 upper level health professionals from 20 provinces in China completed to a questionnaire while attending either a health education workshop in Guangzhou in August 1989 or a similar workshop in Beijing in December 1989. The aim of the study was to determine their knowledge and attitudes since they were opinion leaders and key players in future AIDS prevention programs and to learn about sexual practices. 90% knew that a pregnant woman can transmit HIV to her infant and that sharing unclean needles can transmit HIV, but only 82.1% knew that someone with HIV can transmit it to a partner during sexual intercourse. 29.9% thought one can tell if someone has AIDS by looking at him or her. Newspapers and professional journals provided most of them with information on AIDS (80.6% and 73.1% respectively), but friends and government only provided this information to 29.9% and 19.4%. Overall the participants viewed AIDS as a threat to others and not themselves or families. 85-95% believed certain population groups such as policy makers, high school students, and the public should undergo sex education. Only 43.3% believed elementary schools should provide sex education, however. Participants tended to approve premarital sex and sex between individuals with emotional or long term ties more than extramarital sex. Nevertheless considerable percentage did condone extramarital sex. 95.8% experienced their 1st sexual relationship with their spouses. Even though participants tended to feel condoms did not make sex enjoyable, 81.6% and 72.5% believed condoms prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases respectively. 82% thought they were easy to use. 35% used condoms for contraception. Before using these upper level health workers to conduct AIDS training for lower level workers, they need to have a more thorough understanding of HIV transmission and the signs and symptoms of AIDS.