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Table 5 HIV knowledge among adolescents living with HIV from 11 ART clinics in Cambodia

From: Characteristics of adolescents living with HIV receiving care and treatment services in antiretroviral therapy clinics in Cambodia: descriptive findings from a cross-sectional study

HIV knowledge

Total

(n = 328)

Males

(n = 169)

Females

(n = 159)

 

n (%)

n (%)

n (%)

P-value*

HIV is a virus that attacks a person’s immune system

0.45

 True (correct)

263 (80.2)

140 (82.8)

123 (77.4)

 

 False

44 (13.4)

20 (11.8)

24 (15.1)

 

 Don’t know

21 (6.4)

9 (5.3)

12 (7.5)

 

The cells of the immune system that fight infection are called CD4 cells

0.03

 True (correct)

203 (61.9)

116 (68.6)

87 (54.7)

 

 False

22 (6.7)

8 (4.7)

14 (8.8)

 

 Don’t know

103 (31.4)

45 (26.6)

58 (36.5)

 

The amount of HIV in a person’s blood is called viral load

0.004

 True (correct)

160 (48.8)

97 (57.4)

63 (39.6)

 

 False

26 (7.9)

13 (7.7)

13 (8.2)

 

 Don’t know

142 (43.3)

59 (34.9)

83 (52.2)

 

There is a cure for AIDS

0.38

 True (correct)

138 (42.1)

67 (39.6)

71 (44.7)

 

 False

165 (50.3)

93 (53.8)

74 (46.5)

 

 Don’t know

25 (7.6)

11 (6.5)

14 (8.8)

 

You can tell a person has HIV by looking at him or her

0.09

 True (incorrect)

46 (14.0)

29 (17.2)

17 (10.7)

 

 False

269 (82.0)

136 (80.5)

133 (83.6)

 

 Don’t know

13 (4.0)

4 (2.4)

9 (5.7)

 

A person with HIV will stay healthy if their CD4 cells are high and their viral load is low

0.99

 True (correct)

284 (86.6)

146 (86.4)

138 (86.8)

 

 False

23 (7.0)

12 (7.1)

11 (6.9)

 

 Don’t know

21 (6.4)

11 (6.5)

10 (6.3)

 

Even though a person with HIV may feel healthy, the virus can still be damaging his or her immune system

0.86

 True (correct)

248 (75.6)

127 (75.1)

121 (76.1)

 

 False

65 (19.8)

35 (20.7)

30 (18.9)

 

 Don’t know

15 (4.6)

7 (4.1)

8 (5.0)

 

If sexual partners are both living with HIV, they don’t have to use condoms

0.07

 True (incorrect)

 

61 (36.1)

64 (40.3)

 

 False

 

89 (52.7)

66 (41.5)

 

 Don’t know

 

19 (11.2)

29 (18.2)

 

If people living with HIV take medicine, they don’t have to use condoms

0.005

 True (incorrect)

86 (26.2)

41 (24.3)

45 (28.3)

 

 False

193 (58.8)

112 (66.3)

81 (50.9)

 

 Don’t know

49 (14.9)

16 (9.5)

33 (20.8)

 

It is okay for people living with HIV to miss their medicines

0.02

 True (incorrect)

43 (13.1)

14 (8.3)

29 (18.2)

 

 False

277 (83.5)

148 (87.6)

126 (79.2)

 

 Don’t know

11 (3.4)

7 (4.1)

4 (2.5)

 
  1. Values are number (%) for categorical variables and mean (standard deviation) for continuous variables
  2. * Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test as appropriate was used for continuous variables and Student’s t-test for continuous variables