Ethiopians Know About AIDS, But Don't Think They'll Catch It: Study

Almost 98 percent of Ethiopians know about AIDS and HIV, but most people tend to think that their personal risk of infection is very low, the east African country's first behavioral study showed Wednesday. "Despite the high level of HIV/AIDS knowledge among the population, behavioral change is low and misconceptions are high," said Genet Mitike, who headed the behavioral surveillance survey team (BSS). A "significant proportion of the population, particularly the young, is at high risk of HIV infection," the study found. "More than 60 percent of the married respondents who have had multiple partners in the last 12 months did not always use a condom," the study added. The study recommended that health authorities show "more commitment, more targeted, effective, multidimensional interventions, [with a] strong and well coordinated monitoring and evaluation system."

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