[Adolescents and AIDS: knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, perceptions and consequences for prevention]

The vital issues at stake in the credibility and effectiveness of AIDS prevention programs for young people have led to the emergence of a trend in research focused on the study of adolescents' understanding of AIDS, their attitudes and behaviour towards it, and their beliefs about it. This research can be classified under the three main ways of approaching the problem: 1) results of inquiries about knowledge, attitudes and behaviour; 2) research centred on beliefs and their consequences on a social and individual level; 3) reports and analysis of prevention programs. The results obtained by the different authors bring to light certain characteristics among the adolescent population, notably, their understanding of the disease, their attitudes towards people who are HIV positive, their sexual behaviour, their beliefs about AIDS, and the general direction of the prevention programs which are best adapted to this particular population.