Methods for assessing the awareness level about HIV infection risk factor among students of the Khabarovsk krai

To prevent the social diseases, including HIV infection - is one of the high-priority tasks of the public health. To assess the awareness level among the students of the Khabarovsk Krai in the age of 17-20 years about the risk factors and the HIV transmission ways, the special investigation has been held in 2016. The method of selection of respondents was random. The sampling included the first-year students of two universities and one college in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur (120 pers.) and two high schools and college in Khabarovsk (100 pers.). The average age of respondents was 19.2 ± 1.04 years. The distribution by sex: men - 33 ± 3.17 %, women - 67 ± 3.17 %. The comparison of the data of the previous years (2008, 2012) and the study in 2016 confirmed that the majority (92 ± 1.5 %) of the surveyed young adults in general are well-informed about HIV, sexual and parenteral routes of transmission. However, in recent years, the share of those who consider the possibility of HIV transmission through kisses, bites of blood-sucking or by sharing a meal. The performed studies have confirmed the tendency of the younger generation to the risky behavior. Their search for novelty and the thrills can be traditionally considered to be a contributing factor to the experiments with psychoactive substances and early initiation of sexual relations. The conducted analysis has showed the possibility of using the various forms and methods of youth behavior research. The study has revealed a certain potential for preventive planning of primary prevention of HIV infection. The obtained results have demonstrated that for the effective containment of the HIV epidemic it is necessary to carry out continuous risk monitoring system and preventive work among all young people, not only among the vulnerable groups.