HIV/AIDS awareness and attitudes of tour guides in Turkey

Abstract

The aim of this study was to ascertain Turkish tour guides' awareness and attitudes regarding HIV and AIDS. A sample of 516 tour guides registered in Turkey who verbally consented to participate in this study responded to an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. The respondents typically exhibited a reasonable to excellent degree of knowledge about HIV and AIDS. However, the survey revealed some common misconceptions, indicating that tour guides require additional training in the mechanisms of HIV transmission. We also observed some differences in the level of HIV-related knowledge between different demographic groups. The knowledge level of male respondents was better than that of the female respondents. We also observed that knowledge levels increased with both age and work experience. These results are discussed within the framework of critical studies on HIV-related knowledge. Implications for the development of curricula and in-service training programmes for tour guide organisations and institutions are discussed.