摘要：Evidence is emerging that the social profile of the AIDS pandemic is changing over time. During its initial stage, the more educated, mobile and better-off members of society seem to be most vulnerable to HIV infection. With increased information, knowledge and awareness, however, their behavior changes faster than that of illiterate and poor people in terms of delaying first sexual encounter, reducing the number of partners, increasing condom use, and other actions to decrease risk of infection. Relatively little has been published on the socio-economic correlates of HIV infection. A few studies have shown higher prevalence rates at higher levels of income (Over & Piot, 1993, p. 464). This article attempts to fill some of the void in the existing literature. It focuses on the correlation between HIV infection and the level of education, the latter being a good proxy indicator for a person's overall socio-economic status. If the hypothesis holds true that, beyond the initial stage of the AIDS pandemic, education reduces the risk of HIV infection, then new HIV infections will gradually become concentrated among illiterate and poor people as the epidemic spreads among the population
