The level of knowledge and views of the street children/youth about AIDS in Turkey

The purpose of this study was to discover the level of knowledge and views of the street children and youth in Turkey about AIDS. Five focus group discussions were held with 44 children. On the data collection form there were questions about their age, status of working and living status on the streets, gender, source of information about AIDS, high-risk groups, and knowledge on the ways of transmission and getting protected from AIDS. According to the study results, more than half of the participants (56.8%) did not have any knowledge about AIDS. 63.6% stated that they received their information about AIDS from public media. In addition, the participants of this study listed the main causes of transmission of AIDS as having sexual relationship with prostitutes (22.3%) and sharing razors, toothbrushes, footwear, food (27.6%). When asked the ways to protect oneself from AIDS, 28.9% stated that individual hygiene was very important while 21.0% stated not sleeping with prostitutes, single marriages, and condom use were very important ways to protect oneself from AIDS. 37 children of the total participants stated they were also at risk for AIDS. The main reasons of defining themselves at risk were being substance addicts (24.3%) and unhygienic practices (21.6%). The main conclusion of this study is that street children/youth have insufficient and incorrect knowledge about transmission and protection from AIDS and risk groups.