Original scientific paper
Youth and AIDS – A Study of Attitudes, Knowledge, Behavior and Risks in the Post-War Croatia
Dino Pavičić
Stipe Orešković
Igor Rudan
Diana Rudan
Ivana Božičević
Dragica Bistrović
Andrea Vrdoljak
Ariana Vorko-Jović
Zrinka Biloglav
Branko Kolarić
Mirjana Kujundžić-Tiljak
Zdenko Sonicki
Gorka Vuletić
Josip Fajdić
Ozren Polašek
Ivana Kolčić
Svjetlana Serdar
Rosana Troskot
Vanja Saftić
Pavao Rudan
Abstract
According to the latest reports, the Eastern Europe currently exhibits the greatest relative
increase in the number of newly registered HIV infections in the world. At the
same time, Central Europe remains relatively spared from the epidemic, with reported
rates significantly lower than those in both Eastern and Western Europe. Croatia geographically
affiliates to Central Europe, but it has two specific potential risk factors in
comparison to neighboring countries: recent War events and a summer season when immigration
of large number of tourists from Central and Eastern Europe is expected.
Therefore, it is critical to examine AIDS attitudes in young people, increase their knowledge,
monitor their behavior and warn on risks in order to prevent larger spread of epidemics
from Eastern Europe to Croatia. In this study, we report on a large related survey
and education program among 17-year-old high school pupils that was conducted
in years immediately following the War (1996–1999).
Keywords
AIDS; youth; risks; attitudes; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
28093
URI
Publication date:
16.6.2003.
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