Common misperceptions Knowledge of conception and fertility is generally poor among young people. Many believe that first sexual experience or occasional sex carries no risk of pregnancy. Condoms are widely known but misperceptions dissuade youth from using them. A study of secondary school students in Kenya reports that most were aware of condoms and could name several brands. However, many mistrusted condoms because they thought they were porous and often came off or were ineffective.
Many youth believe that infected persons reveal outward evidence of their condition.
In an urban barrio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for example, respondents said the male was more vulnerable to AIDS than the female because the female could infect him without becoming sick herself. HIV could be prevented by good personal hygiene. A number of young people believe that STIs and HIV can be transmitted by sharing glasses or eating utensils, using the same toilet as an infected person, poor personal hygiene and mosquito bites. Young urban barrio residents in Buenos Aires, Argentina, argued that the HIV virus is transmitted through the saliva of homosexuals. A number of case studies highlight how young people underestimate the risks they face.