[Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding HIV/AIDS among disabled youth in Maputo (Mozambique)]

This study deals with knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding HIV/AIDS amongst disabled youth (motor disabilities, visually or hearing impaired) aged 15 to 29 years in Maputo (Mozambique) where the prevalence rate of HIV is 20.7%. The study is the first of its kind in Mozambique on this subject. The NGO Handicap International would like to improve and adapt the activities carried out under its project "HIV and Disability" that targets this vulnerable group within the population. Data collection was done using an interview guide. The study sought to present a comparison of knowledge, attitudes and practices among the disabled youth who participated in the study and with non-disabled youth in Maputo, and a comparison between the three kinds of disability among the disabled youth who participated in the study. The results showed that the level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS in the group of disabled youth is lower than that of youth without disabilities. The comparison between the three types of disabilities showed that those who are hearing-impaired are not reached by the usual HIV/AIDS awareness-raising or prevention campaigns, as they are not a part of these communication networks. The study analyzed reasons for these differences and showed that there is a need to improve access to HIV/AIDS information, counseling and screening for young people with disabilities. A series of recommendations have been proposed based on our results.