AIDS ignorance high in Singapore: survey

0 Comments | AFP, December, 2004

SINGAPORE (AFP) — One in three Singaporeans believe they can acquire AIDS through a mosquito bite, according to a survey that said ignorance of the deadly disease had not improved in five years.

Twenty percent of Singaporeans also believe that HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS, can be transmitted via a cough or a sneeze, while 16 percent say scientists "don't know as much as they claim" about the issue.

An associate professor at the National University of Singapore Business School carried out the survey on 100 young adults who had at least a secondary education, with many having a university degree, the Straits Times said.

The associate professor, Vivien Lim, said the findings of the survey were not surprising because campaigns to raise awareness in...