Background: Youth population is considered a very important population group for the wealth and future of
any nation. Youth populations in India have higher (almost one third) prevalence of HIV/AIDS as compared
to other age population. Global experience has advised that public awareness of HIV/AIDS is the most
important weapon against the HIV/AIDS epidemic as long as a vaccine or cure has not been developed.
Beside the health problem, HIV/AIDS have also social implications in the society. For intervention of
HIV/AIDS and determining the influence of previous and current awareness programs among youth
population and it is important to know the awareness of HIV/AIDS in the youth.
Objective: The present study aimed to examine the differentials in awareness and comprehensive knowledge
of HIV and AIDS and identify the main correlates of awareness and comprehensive HIV and AIDS
knowledge among youth in India.
Methods: Data from the “Youth in India: Situation and Needs study,” a sub nationally representative
survey in India was analyzed. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to
measuring the trends and correlates of comprehensive HIV and AIDS knowledge among youth in India.
Findings: The findings of this study indicate that the comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention
methods is not as high as HIV/AIDS awareness among youth in India. Overall, more than two third (78.2%)
of the youth were aware of HIV/AIDS while almost one third (33.8%) of the youth were have comprehensive
knowledge of HIV/AIDS. However, this study found that there is an extensive differential both awareness of
HIV/AIDS and comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS services across key selected individual, household
and community characteristics of youth in India. Finding of multivariate logistic regression analysis
indicated that age of youth, sex of youth, education of youth, place of residence and state is a significant
determinants of HIV/AIDS awareness as well as comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention
methods.
Conclusion: This study concludes that comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS is still very low among youth
in India, while youth is venerable group of HIV/AIDS epidemic. However general awareness of HIV and
AIDS alone is not sufficient for prevention of HIV/AIDS but somewhat, accurate and high levels of
comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS transmission is necessary to prevent the serious disease. Education
is currently the only means of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. The education which is necessary
safeguard for youth from the HIV/AIDS virus and subsequent disease. Government and policy makers
should promote the strategy to trends the teachers who teach to student about HIV/AIDS and prevention
methods.