Medicine / 12. Infections desease

Selutina A.P., Sinyova K.S., Koryakova O.E., Oselkova Y.O., Barysheva V.O., Gerasimova M.I., Burmatov D.E., Peshikov O.V.

Chelyabinsk State Medical Academy

Awareness of Higher Institutions Students of Chelyabinsk City in Issues of Defining HIV Status of Intimate Partner

 

Significance. HIV infection is the most acute problem of modern health service in the whole world. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a lentivirus (a member of the retrovirus family) that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS),  a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. From the beginning of the epidemics more than 60 million people in the world have got HIV and about 30 million of them died from diseases determined by HIV. According to UNAIDS data in 2010 the number of people living with HIV around the world was 34 million people, number of new cases was 2,7 million and number of those who died – 1,8 million people [1, p. 49; 3, p. 5]. HIV infection epidemic at the territory of Russia has high spread rate. According to data of Federal Agency for Oversight in the Sphere of Consumers Rights and Human Welfare it is registered more than 350 thousand cases of HIV infection in Russia, in addition more than 80% among them are those at the age between 15 and 30 years [1, p. 82].

The total number of HIV-positive Russian people registered in the Russian Federation till June 30, 2012 was 682726 people (according to data reported on September 15, 2012).

Research objective is to define the awareness of students of some higher institutions of Chelyabinsk city in issues of verifying of their intimate partner having HIV infection diagnosis and using of them barrier contraception.

Materials and Methods. We have conducted questionnaire survey of 1006 students of different courses of humanitarian (Chelyabinsk State University, Chelyabinsk State Medical Academy, Chelyabinsk State Pedagogical University) and technical (South Ural State University) higher institutions of Chelyabinsk city. Students were offered to answer a set of questions dedicated to the issues of HIV infection prevention. The achieved material was processed with the program statistica 6.0.

Research Results. 71% of the questioned students believe that it is not possible to judge by externals if the person is HIV positive or not. From the left 287 people who think that it is possible to determine the HIV status of the patient by externals, 29 people never use barrier contraception with their intimate partner and 81 people sometimes use it (depending on the partner). 141 people corresponding who think that it is possible to judge HIV status by externals still use barrier contraception. So 14% of the pollees despite their thinking that it is possible to judge HIV status of their partner by externals, use barrier contraception. In its turn from 719 people who think that it is not possible to determine the HIV status of the patient by externals, only 325 people use barrier contraception. One can draw a conclusion that the choice of barrier contraception does not depend on the fact if the person think that it is possible to determine HIV status by externals or not (tab. 1).

Table 1

Correlation between using of barrier contraception and determination of the presence of HIV infection by externals

Is it possible to judge HIV status by externals?

Yes

No

287 (29%)

719 (71%)

Using of barrier contraception

Never

Sometimes

Always

Virgin

Never

Sometimes

Always

Virgin

10,1%

28,2%

49,1%

12,5%

11,1%

25,5%

45,2%

18,2%

 

Let us take a look on the problem from another side. From 287 questioned students (28,53%), who believe that it is possible to judge HIV status of a person by externals, 36 people (12,5%) do not have sex, 102 people (35,5%) do not know HIV status of their intimate partner, 149 (51,9%) know HIV status of their intimate partner, but only 43 (15%) asked their intimate partners to get medical certificate on HIV infection absence. Correspondingly the left 106 people (10,5% of all pollees), who think that it is possible to judge HIV status by externals  and who did not ask their intimate partners to get medical certificate but who know his/her HIV status – have determined their intimate partner HIV status by externals (tab. 2).

Table 2

Correlation of the number of students (in percent) informed about the HIV status of their sexual partner objectively and subjectively

Is it possible to judge HIV status by externals?

Suppose, that yes – 287 people

Do you know HIV status of your intimate partner?

Virgin

Yes

No

51,9%

35,5%

12,5%

Did you see a medical certificate on HIV infection absence from your intimate partner?

 

 

Yes

No

28,9%

71,1%

 

Form them only 71 people use always barrier contraception, consequently the left 35 people (12,2%) do not use barrier contraception thinking that they know HIV status of their partner and determined it by externals. From 287 students determining HIV status of their intimate partners by externals 10 people (3,5%) have sexual relations with little-known partners i.e. are in the risk group of getting HIV infection. 1% of all the asked is in the high risk group of getting HIV infection in the result of their ignorance in issues of determining intimate partner HIV status by externals (tab. 3).

Table 3

Correlation between the definition of the HIV infection in externals and availability of sexual relations with little-known partners

Is it possible to judge HIV status of the patient by externals?

Yes

No

287 (29%)

719 (71%)

Virgin

Did you have sexual relations with little-known partners?

Virgin

Yes

No

Yes

No

12,5%

20,6%

66,9%

16,0%

65,8%

18,2%

 

From 719 people (71,5%) who believe that it is impossible to judge HIV status of the patient by externals, only 325 people (45,2%) use barrier contraception. From the left 263 students who do not use barrier contraception with their intimate partner or use it sometimes, 67 people do not know HIV status of their partner (10 people of them have sexual relations with little-known people). It goes to show that 6,7% of all pollees (who think that it is impossible to determine HIV status by externals , do not know their partners HIV status and do not use barrier contraception or use it sometimes) are in the risk group of getting HIV infection and 1% of all the pollees (who think that it is impossible to determine HIV status by externals , do not know their partners HIV status and do not use barrier contraception or use it sometimes and have sex with little-known people) are in the high risk group of getting HIV infection in the result of their reckless disregard to this problem.

Let us consider this question basing on the analysis of certain higher institutions of Chelyabinsk city. 82% of the questioned Chelyabinsk State Medical Academy students, 73% of SUSU students, 42% of the Chelyabinsk State University students and 0% of the CSPU students think that it is not possible to judge HIV status by externals. Thus the awareness in this issue of higher institution of medical specialization (Chelyabinsk State Medical Academy) is higher than the awareness of other higher institutions of Chelyabinsk city. From higher institutions of non-medical specialization South Ural State University has shown higher awareness in this issue than other higher institutions.

Taking certain higher institution (Chelyabinsk State Medical Academy) the percentage of people who believe that it is possible to determine person’s HIV status by externals, who know HIV status of their partner but did not ask him/her medical certificate and who do not use barrier contraception or use it sometimes is 2,8% (risk group of getting HIV infection in the result of lack of awareness, and 2,3% of those people are 5 and 6 years students). The percentage of the asked who think that it is impossible to judge HIV status by externals, do not know their partner HIV status and do not use barrier contraception is 4,8% (risk group of getting HIV infection in the result of their reckless disregard to this problem).

In South Ural State University the percentage of the asked who think that it is possible to judge HIV status by externals, know their partner HIV status but did not ask for medical certificate (i.e. determined HIV status by externals) and do not use barrier contraception is 5,4% (risk group of getting HIV infection in the result of their lack of awareness). The percentage of the asked who think that it is not possible to judge HIV status by externals, do not know their partner HIV status and do not use barrier contraception is 11% (risk group of getting HIV infection in the result of their reckless disregard to this problem).

In Chelyabinsk State University the percentage of the asked who think that it is possible to judge HIV status by externals, know their partner HIV status but did not ask for medical certificate (i.e. determined HIV status by externals) and do not use barrier contraception or use it sometimes is 2,5% (risk group of getting HIV infection in the result of their lack of awareness). The percentage of the asked who think that it is not possible to judge HIV status by externals, do not know their partner HIV status and do not use barrier contraception is 7,5% (risk group of getting HIV infection in the result of their reckless disregard to this problem).

In Chelyabinsk State Pedagogical University 100% of the asked believe that it is possible to judge person’s HIV status by externals, from those 22% know HIV status of their intimate partner but did not ask for medical certificate (i.e. determined HIV status by externals), but all those 22% independently on partner always use barrier contraception, consequently they do not find themselves in risk group of getting HIV infection (basing on data of determining HIV status by externals).

Conclusion. In issues of determining of person’s HIV status by externals the index of true awareness is higher among students of medical higher institution (Chelyabinsk State Medical Academy). From the higher institutions of non-medical specialization this index is higher among the students of technical university (South Ural State University).

Students believing that it is possible to judge HIV status by externals do not think is necessary to ask medical certificate on HIV status from their partner.

The number of students being at risk group of getting HIV infection in the result of their lack of awareness in issues of determining HIV status by externals is the highest in South Ural State University (5,4%). The number of students being at risk group of getting HIV infection in the result of their lack of awareness in issues of determining HIV status by externals is the least in Chelyabinsk State University (2,5%). The choice of barrier contraception does not depend on the fact if the person believes it is possible to judge person’s HIV status by external or not.

 

Литература

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