Country Comparison of HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Prevention - Cambodia and Indonesia, 2000-2007

Both Cambodia and Indonesia currently have a low HIV/AIDS prevalence, 1.6% and 0.1% respectively. The number of people living with HIV in both countries is under 200,000 (UNAIDS, 2005). However, there is a significant difference in people's knowledge of HIV/AIDS and ways to avoid HIV/AIDS between these two countries.

Using data collected by the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) in Cambodia (2000 and 2005) and Indonesia (2003 and 2007), this analysis compares people's knowledge of HIV/AIDS and prevention methods in these two countries and changes of such knowledge over two rounds of DHS, and studies the determinants of such disparities.

Results show that in Cambodia, where the HIV/AIDS epidemic is concentrated among high-risk populations -- injecting-drug users, commercial sex workers and men who have sex with men, the knowledge of HIV/AIDS and ways to avoid HIV/AIDS is much higher than that in Indonesia. A single most important method of prevention, condom use, was known by only less than 10% of women in Indonesia where as the figure is over 66% in Cambodia. Linked to that, condom use is much more prevalent in Cambodia that in Indonesia.

This paper concludes that although there are major cultural differences in Cambodia and Indonesia, there is a strong demand of establishing a linkage between family planning services with HIV/AIDS counseling and education in order to implement successful HIV/AIDS prevention programs. Government commitment is also a key to HIV/AIDS programs and their successes in these countries.