Valencia Abúndiz, Silvia. Por qué los jóvenes no previenen el SIDA? Una perspectiva psicosocial. [Why do the young not prevent AIDS? A psychosocial perspective.] In: Mercado Martínez, Francisco; Robles Silva, Leticia (comp.). Investigación cualitativa en salud. Perspectiva desde el occidente de México. [Qualitative research in health. A perspective from the west of Mexico.] Guadalajara (Mexico): University of Guadalajara; 1999. p. 157-176.

Objectives : To analyze, from their own perspective, the lack of AIDS prevention among youths.

Methodology: Qualitative, representational psychosocial study, incorporating quantitative methodology.

Results: Field work was carried out among approximately 2,000 youths of both sexes, between the ages of 14 and 25. 60% of those interviewed indicated that they had engaged in sexual relations. Women indicated that they began to have sex between the ages of 14 and 16 years, and males between 17 and 20 years. The majority of respondents (49%) replied that they had sexual relations as part of a courtship relationship, while 20% engaged in sex with friends, 27% with a married woman or man, and 4% with casual sex partners. Concerning the frequency of sexual relations, responses fell into three ranges: half of the respondents indicated that such relations occurred less than once per month; a third that they occurred one or twice per month; and 17% that they occurred frequently. 36% stated that they had had only one sexual partner; 40% between two and six partners; 12% between seven and nine; and 12% ten or more.

Calculations derived from the responses (number of partners, number of sexual encounters, planning for sexual relations, and frequency of such relations) indicated that approximately 70% were at risk for HIV infection. Nevertheless, 95% of the youths knew what AIDS is, how they could contract the disease, mechanisms of prevention, and symptoms of AIDS. These findings demonstrate that no direct or proportional relationship exists among the quality of information, fear of getting infected, and preventive behavior. Available information, even if correct, was not appropriately used, due to the greater influence of other considerations. Possession of appropriate information often did not lead to appropriate behaviors.

Conclusions: Despite a high degree of fear about HIV infection, this fear is not closely related to the perception of ones own risk. Prevention of AIDS does not depend on launching more campaigns about the use of condoms. Although young people have a good deal of information, they are not oriented toward self-protection through engaging in safe sexual practice. They acknowledge danger in high risk groups (homosexuals, prostitutes, drug addicts) but they fail to calculate the danger that they themselves face by undertaking risky practices.