AIDS Awareness and Knowledge in Thailand: Quantitative and Qualitative Evidence

Quantitative data from the largest national survey on the topic and qualitative information from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews indicate almost universal awareness and widespread, reasonably accurate basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS among married Thai men and women. Positive associations of knowledge with education and economic status are evident. Television is the most important source for disseminating the basic facts about AIDS although other mass media, particularly radio and newspapers, are frequently cited as proving information. The results indicate that access to multiple sources of information is strongly associated with increased knowledge. It seems reasonable to infer that the extensive public awareness and knowledge of HIV/AIDS combined with the lack of a fatalistic attitude has been an important contributor to the declining incidence of HIV in recent years in Thailand.

Dataset(s): 1993 Social Attitudes Survey (Thailand).