Access to Mass Media and Awareness of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Among the Truck Drivers in Dhaka City

Do Mass Media Make Them Aware?

Abstract

The major objective of the study is to determine the association between access to mass media such as television, newspaper, radio, and internet and level of STDs awareness among the truck drivers in Dhaka city. This research utilized purposive sampling technique to select 250 respondents from the study areas. The results of the study demonstrate that a significant number of respondents (88%) had heard of STDs. However, most of them (70%) did not have the awareness of STDs. It again reveals that radio, newspapers, and internet did not play significant role in making them aware of STDs. Bivariate results of the study indicate that respondents with higher degree of exposure to television were more likely to be aware of STD like HIV. This study concludes that mass media may play vibrant role in disseminating information about not only HIV but also other STDs such as Chlamydia, Herpes, Hepatitis B, and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).