Homeless youth and AIDS: knowledge, attitudes and behaviour

A study conducted in Brisbane, Queensland, assessed homeless youths' knowledge, attitudes and behaviours relating to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Data obtained from 40 homeless youths aged 15 to 19 years were compared with that from controls. The findings identified a significantly lower level of accurate knowledge of AIDS by the homeless youth on questions related to the transmission of AIDS and on measures to prevent infection. Furthermore, homeless youth exhibited higher levels of at-risk behaviours for the contraction of AIDS. No significant differences regarding attitudes and beliefs about the disease were found. A subgroup of particularly high-risk youth is identified and described. Given the established knowledge deficits, homeless youth were also assessed for educational measures to which they might respond favourably. Implications for future educational programmes are described. It is concluded that homeless youth are comparatively ignorant of AIDS and comparatively at risk of contracting the disease.