Nearly 9 out of 10 young people (87 percent) believe they are invulnerable to getting the AIDS virus, even though 20 percent have had a friend or acquaintance die of the disease, reveals a national survey by MTV: Music Television and Yale designed to assess young people's attitudes and behaviors related to sex, health and AIDS.
In partnership with Yale's Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA), MTV surveyed a sample of 770 people who were 12 to 34 years old. The results showed that only 2 percent of white respondents consider themselves vulnerable to getting the AIDS virus, compared with 16 percent of Hispanics, and 11 percent of African Americans. More than half of those surveyed cannot think of a way they or people they know are at risk for getting the AIDS virus.
While 90 percent of all respondents say they are not engaging in any activity which puts them at risk for getting AIDS, only half (53 percent) of unmarried respondents used a condom the last time they had sex, and 33 percent of unmarried respondents have not received or purchased a condom in the last six months. Sixty-three percent of
12- to 34-year-olds cite using condoms and practicing safe sex as the way to prevent AIDS. However, 45 percent of unmarried respondents have engaged in sex one or more times without using condoms. Of these, less than half use condoms when having sex with a new person, and 23 percent engage in sex without using birth control.
"This study is important because it tells us that, despite the information that's out there, young people have not internalized the dangers of AIDS, drugs, alcohol and other health-related risks," says Dr. Michael H. Merson, dean of public health at the School of Medicine and CIRA director.
MTV President Judy McGrath adds, "It also tells us that we can't take a back seat on these issues. Not arming young people with the facts and the means to protect themselves is taking a real gamble with the future."
Young people reported that the mass media are not providing them with the information they want and need. More than half believe the media are not adequately sending out the message about the dangers of various health issues.
For example, young people say there is not enough advertising about pregnancy prevention (68 percent),
the dangers of unprotected sex (63 percent), and AIDS (56 percent). Fifty-nine percent say there is too little on the dangers of drugs, and 58 percent say there is not enough advertising on the issue of violence.
"The survey gives us key information we need to create programs that will provide some answers and help address the issues head on," says Todd Cunningham, MTV's vice president of research and planning.
CIRA at Yale conducts research aimed at preventing HIV infection and reducing the harmful consequences of AIDS. Its initial focus is on adolescents, women and drug users -- populations in which HIV infections still are increasing at an alarming rate. In addition to Merson, Peter Salovey, psychology professor and CIRA codirector, participated in the study.
MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom Inc., owns and operates five cable television programming services -- MTV: Music Television, M2, VH1, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, and Nick at Nite's TV Land.