Knowledge About HIV/AIDS and High Risk Sexual Behavior among Unmarried Male Age Group Between 15-29 Years and Factors Affecting Them in Urban Slum, India

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to examine the knowledge about HIV/AIDS and high risk sexual behavior among unmarried urban slum male age group between (15-29) years in eight India cities. In India, more than one third of the estimated two and a half million people infected with HIV/AIDS are in the 15 to 29-years old age group. However, limited information exists on the factors that influence sexual initiation and other related sexual behaviors among this group. Even less is known about the factors that influence sexual behaviors among young, unmarried males living in urban slums, a population characterized by high vulnerability to STI/HIV infections due to their engagement in sexual and other risk behaviors. To fill in these large gaps of knowledge, this study uses National Family Health Survey-3 (NFHS-3) data of India. The study finding shows that, only 44.6 percent of unmarried male were having comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS (1: knowing that both condom use and limiting sex partners to one uninfected faithful partner are HIV/AIDS prevention methods; 2: being aware that a healthy-looking person can have HIV/AIDS; and 3: rejecting the two most common misconceptions in India) and 6 percent of unmarried male had involved in high risk sexual behavior (refers to the tendency of men having sex without using condom). Binary Regression analyses found factors such as alcohol consumption, religion, respondent education, and wealth index are significantly influenced the comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS and high risk sexual behavior of unmarried male age group between 15-29 years.