OBJECTIVE: In this study we aimed to determine the knowledge level and behaviors of nurses towards AIDS and sexually transmitted disease (STD) who are working at Baskent University Ankara Hospital Design: There were 321 nurses at Baskent University Ankara Hospital at January 2005. Two hundred fifty six (79.7%) of them participated the study. The data was collected with a questionnaire. Main outcome measures: The nurses who were answered the question “Are you using any method in order to prevent STD?” as “needless” were accepted as “sexually inactive”. The level of AIDS knowledge was evaluated over 100 point scale. RESULTS: The mean age of nurses was 25.8±0.2 (19-38), while 69.8% of them were college or faculty graduate and 71.1% of them were single. AIDS (94.4%), syphilis (70.6%) and gonorrhea (60.2%) were the first three STD implicated by nurses. The average value of AIDS knowledge of nurses was 83.8±0.8. The average value of nurses who had bachelor’s degree or doctorate, who were at the 26-27 age group, who were married or widowed and sexually inactive group, but these differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Only 31 nurses (20.1%) declared that they have been using any preventive method for STD. CONCLUSIONS: It is determined, although the status of STD and AIDS knowledge of nurses are high, but the percentage of usage of any preventive method is low.
Keywords: AIDS, STD, nurse, knowledge, behavior