Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 20, Issue 6, 2018, Pages 1415-1423

Important Gaps in HIV Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Among Young Asylum Seekers in Comparison to the General Population (Article)

Tiittala P.* , Kivelä P. , Liitsola K. , Ollgren J. , Pasanen S. , Vasankari T. , Ristola M.
  • a Doctoral Programme in Population Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, Department of Health Security, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie 166, Helsinki, 00271, Finland
  • b Department of Infectious Diseases, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
  • c Department of Health Security, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie 166, Helsinki, 00271, Finland
  • d Department of Health Security, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie 166, Helsinki, 00271, Finland
  • e Positiiviset ry, HivFinland, on behalf of the World Aids Day committee 2014, Helsinki, Finland
  • f Finnish Lung Health Association (Filha), on behalf of the TIE steering committee, Helsinki, Finland
  • g Department of Infectious Diseases, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

Abstract

Migrants are disproportionately affected by HIV in many European countries, including Finland. We aimed to compare the HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of young asylum seekers to those of the general young adult population. Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted among 20- to 25-year-old young adults: The TIE study among asylum seekers (n = 47) and the World AIDS Day 2014 study among the general population (n = 485). Important gaps in HIV KAP were identified especially among the young asylum seekers. For the general young adult population, previous HIV testing was associated with female gender, better HIV knowledge and increased sexual activity. Health education concerning HIV needs to be further enforced among young adults in Finland. Due to poorer HIV knowledge, young asylum seekers might be especially vulnerable to HIV. The asylum process is a window of opportunity for health education and HIV testing. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Author Keywords

KAP Young adult HIV Asylum seeker Testing

Index Keywords

HIV Infections refugee Finland transmission sexual behavior Human immunodeficiency virus infection human epidemiology Refugees health status ethnology Cross-Sectional Studies Young Adult cross-sectional study Humans psychology male female Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice adult sex factor Sex Factors attitude to health
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85041551536&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-018-0707-8&partnerID=40&md5=581e24629c8009db193ed6cbbea5ba9d
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-018-0707-8
ISSN: 15571912
Original Language: English