A CROSS-COUNTRY SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW ON YOUNG ADULTS’KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS ON HIV/AIDS

Abstract

With the aim to better appreciate the young adults’ knowledge and degree of awareness on global issue of HIV/AIDS, the researcher purposively reviewed 25 qualified documents, utilized data search engine such as ProQuest, CINAHL, PubMed and Ebscohost to consolidate literature findings from 2012-2017. The researcher used content analysis technique to screen and validate researches. Due to diversed potential findings, the review utilized certain degree of limitations as criteria for selection. A multi-staging strategy is developed to identify significant and relevant review results.

Based from the analyses, literatures revealed that a good and comprehensive knowledge about HIV/AIDS transmission increases positive effects towards sexual behaviors and attitudes and is considered key step towards behavioral change. The findings assessed the degree of knowledge and disclosed that almost young adults (15-24 years old) had heard HIV/AIDS; however have misconceptions about the infection saying it is curable, doubtful on the effectiveness of educational programs, efficiency of the government to deliver services to the population concerned. Further, factors have been identified contributing in the low level of knowledge and awareness about the issue include perception of the risk factors associated with HIV, less access and safety concerns for not using condoms and contraception among others. Therefore, it is concluded that young people’s knowledge must be assessed clearly to correct notion and myth about HIV/AIDS.