Survey shows awareness Nebraska youth realize seriousness of AIDS SSSSOr-_0 By Laura Smith Staff Reporter Results of a survey about Ne braska adolescents' knowledge of AIDS show that kids know a lot about the disease, said Ian Newman, a Uni versity of Ncbraska-Lincoln profes sor of health education. The results were announced at an AIDS symposium at UNL June 22. ‘Kids are quite knowledgeable about the trans mission of AIDS...’ --Newman “Kids are quite knowledgeable about the transmission of AIDS, but tend not to be involved in taking precautions,” Newman said. The survey was given to Nebraska youth in the eighth and tenth grades in spring 1988. Newman said the results ^ will be published later this year. Newman told an audience of 35 that several years ago the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta started conducting national surveys on ado Icsccnts" knowledge of and attitudes toward health-related issues includ ing nutrition, safety, violence, sui cide and sexually transmitted dis eases. Originally, AIDS was not in cluded in the survey. He said he decided to take the national questions and look at them at the slate level. Newman said he thinks the Ne braska survey will correlate with the national findings. “Nebraska is probably no differ ent than the rest of the country,” he said. The results show that most of the teens know an AIDS victim can spread the disease. Most also said they knew abstaining from sex and using condoms can reduce the risk of contracting AIDS. Other results showed that more girls than boys knew that a pregnant woman can spread AIDS to her baby and that very few of the students know where to get tested for the AIDS virus. More than half of the students said they would go to school with some one with AIDS. Newman said the survey also asked students if they thought at least half of their peers were having sexual intercourse. Eighty-two percent of male tenth graders said yes. Of the 47 percent of students who say they have had sexual intercourse, less than 20 percent say they talked with their partner about AIDS before engaging in sexual intercourse. Seven percent of the students said the stopped having sex because of the threat of AIDS. Three percent said they have shared needles to take drugs. “This is a small but alarming number,” Newman said. Newman said 1700 students an swered the survey. rscwman saiu me resuus snow very little difference between an swers given by rural students and answers given by urban students. Some people are concerned that students don’t give valid answers, Newman said. But, he said, validity has been tested and “ in the main, kids tell the truth.” “Kids know the facts, but aren’t acting on them,” Newman said. Newman’s presentation was one of seven speeches about AIDS at the symposium ‘‘AIDS Education in Nebraska: Opening the Lines of Communication.” It was sponsored by the Department of Educational Administration and the School of Health, Physical Education and Rec reation. Resignations and appointments Hartung resigns From staff reports T.E. Hartung has resigned as Dean of the Agriculture College and will be taking a full-time position as Associ ate Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Hartung came to the University of Nebraska in 1974 from Colorado State University where he worked with the research and extension pro grams. He was selected for the position of Associate Vice Chancellor on July 1, 1988 and has been serving as Interim Dean for the College of Agriculture. Donald Edwards will replace Har tung as dean. He is scheduled to take over Saturday. Edwards was Chairman of the Agriculture Engineering Department at Michigan State. He also was part of the UNL staff from 1966 to 1980. Regents appoint geography chair From staff reports Jeanne Kay has been appointed as chairperson of the Department of Geography at the University of Ne braska-Lincoln. Kay has been an associate profes sor of geography at the University of Utah since 1984. She will be a full professor at UNL. Kay is co-editor of “The Profes sional Geographer” and “The Envi ronmental Effects of the North American Fur Trade.” Kay replaces Kenneth Dewey, who has been serving as interim dean. I I Eighth & tenth grades were surveyed in the spring of 1988. AIDS education should be taught in school AIDS infected person can 92% infect someone else i Abstaining from intercourse ! can reduce risk of AIDS wearing condoms can ; reduce risk There is a cure for AIDS I only gay men get the _ disease 32% 0f ma|e -j oth graders say they have had sexual intercourse say 1/2 of peers use condoms -1 say 1/2 of their peers are injecting 00 /0 illeoal druas say 1/2 of their peers are sharing needles nave injected drugs ( ' have shared needles have had sex % had sex in the last year had sexw/ more than 1 partner stopped sex because of threat started using condoms reduced # of sex partners use condoms during sex _I_^ Source: Dept, of Ed. Admin. & School of Health, Phys. Ed. and Recreation. »»»»•—len r im nnri' miiii I Gobble Gobble Gobble Gobble Gobble Gobble Gobble Gobble 3 g •g Sandwiches • Entrees ^ O Soups • Salads