National AIDS education campaign benchmark survey 1986-1987: general population

In the early 1980's the Commonwealth and State Governments moved rapidly to provide information to groups at high-risk of contracting the AIDS virus. The AIDS Task Force and NACAIDS then decided that a comprehensive education campaign to inform the public about AIDS was necessary. These studies (SSDA No. 564 - 569) were commissioned in 1986 to provide information to develop strategies for AIDS prevention education, and to provide a benchmark against which to measure the effectiveness of the National AIDS Education Program. It was decided that the study should cover four groups - adults (the general population aged 16 to 60), adolescents (aged 12 to 15), homosexual and bisexual men, and intra-venous drug users. This study is a mini-study (or pilot study) conducted to test the techniques used in the main study and to ascertain their validity in obtaining sensitive information. The data collected covered: levels of awareness of AIDS, knowledge of what constitutes high risk behaviour; knowledge why high risk behaviour increases the likelihood of transmitting AIDS; attitudes toward people with AIDS and high risk group stereotypes; barriers to absorbing information and changing behaviour; attitudes and beliefs about the security of the blood supply; sources of information on AIDS; current sexual and drug use behaviour. Background variables include media consumption, sex, age, region, country of birth, language use, children in the house, marital status, occupation, church attendance, education, transport use