الفهرس 
AcknowledgementOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
a) AIDS is one of the emerging diseases in the last twenty years, which continues to pose the gravest health threat to humans. It has assumed a pandemic proportion affecting an the five continents. AIDS has produced three related worldwide epidemics. The first, is the silent epidemic of HIV infection, where 33.6 million people had been infected as of the end of 1999. The second epidemic is that of AIDS itself, where it has already cost the lives of nearly 18.8 miJJion people as of the end of June 2000, and the third epidemic is the cultural, social, economic and political reactions to these first two. AIDS has been referred to as a behaviora]]y transmitted disease that has direct linkage to life style and behavior. The main behavioral characteristics that facilitate the spread of its viral etiology are unprotected sexual activity with different partners and sharing of equipment by injecting drug users. With no cure and vaccine in sight, the only available preventive measures are the modification of the individual risky behaviors by health education programs, creating an enabling environment to facilitate behavioral changes and providing the necessary means to do so. The present study was carried out to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices related to HIV / AIDS, and to identify the determinants affecting these factors among selected groups in Alexandria. Through a cross-sectional approach, a total of 1150 participants were enrolled. By using proportional allocation technique, 360 participants were recruited from blood donors attending the three blood banks (Main blood bank, EI-Shatby, and Medical Research Institute), whereas 700 participants ~ --. 110. were enrolled ITom suspected STDs patients attending the seven DV c1inics( Mina-El-Basal, Moharrem-Bey, AI-Montazah, Bakoss, Kom Al-Shokafah, Al-Metras, and Al-Manshiah). The remaining participants were enrolled as follows: 50 from tuberculosis patients under DOTS in the five chest centers (Karmouz, AI-Mamoura, AI-Gomrouk, AI-Kabbary and Bakoss), and 40 addicts from the addiction treatment unit in Al-Mamoura Psychiatry Hospital. In addition, spouses of married AIDS reported cases were also included in the study. The study population were interviewed through a pre-designed interview questionnaire about the socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge related to the nature, modes of transmission, high-risk groups and the preventive measures of mY/AIDS, HIV/AIDS perceived threat, attitudes toward AIDS patients as well as certain HIV / AIDS related practices. The perception of AIDS threat and the attitudes toward HIV/AIDS patients were assessed by using the three point Likert-scale. I The study revealed the following main results: The majority of the study population was males, their mean age was 29.06 :!: 8.23 years. Over 60.00/0 were unmarried at the time of the study.